Slowly Fading
by xxthewayatchawritexx
Summary: *Set in the 1940s* Eric and Beatrice we're happily engaged. Everything was perfect. Everything was going as planned, until Eric and his best friend Tobias got deployed. In battle, Eric got shot in the stomach. Tobias tried all he could to save him, but it was too late. Eric asked Tobias of only one thing. To marry Beatrice Prior, and to give her the life she deserves.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHORS NOTE**

 **So this is the new story. Just a warning, there is some old fashioned slang in here, so if you don't know a term, feel free to contact me and ask me what it means. I'm happy to help.**

Chapter 1

"C,mon," Eric says to me, pulling slightly at my dress

"I'm gonna take you to a high class party. We're gonna go be-bop, Da-do-bop, de-be-bop-sha-bop!" As he says this, he dances around me in circles, showing off his 'moves'

I laugh at him, and shake my head

"Calm down you knucklehead, your stirring up dust. And I can't go, I have to work." I say, much to my dismay.

"Ooohhh, I'm sure old Miss Lanchester won't mind a bit. After all, your just a young, beautiful girl, going out to celebrate her engagement," he wraps his strong arms around my waist, a cheeky grin on his face. I push his arms away and roll my eyes at him

"We celebrated last week, and the week before, and the week before that," I say, counting the weeks on my fingers

"What can I say? I do love a good shindig." He continues to pull me towards him.

I tilt my head back and sigh with exasperation as he runs light kisses down my neck

"Fine, I'll go,"

"But it better be a hell of a good party"

PAGE BREAK

I sit in Eric's lap as we share a drink. He points out men dancing like the intoxicated idiots they are, while I continue to worry about what Miss Lanchester will say to me in the morning.

"Hey," Eric yells to me over the loud drumming and cheering

"Lets dance," I nod, with a smile on my face

As soon as we step into the mass of people, we are pushed and nudged around the entire platform, moving our feet as much as we can.

"Faster," Eric shouts, and suddenly the music changes. From the mild tempo it once was to a wildly quick paced beat.

We prance around, stumbling over our own feet, trying our hardest to match the rhythm. I laugh as Eric accidentally knocks into another man, but he just pats the lad on the back, laughs, and rejoins me in dance.

This goes on for 20 more minutes, until we're both sweat soaked and exhausted.

We sit in the same spot we were in, with me on his lap, both of us panting hard.

I take a gulp of the beer, and hand it to Eric, who chugs the whole thing in less than 5 seconds.

I lean back against his chest and wipe the sweat off my forehead

Suddenly, Eric shouts out

"Hey Tobias, m'man!" He waves over Tobias

As he comes over, I glance at him

"Hey, Tobias" I say with a curt nod

He sits down across from us

"Hey, how's the engagement going, huh?" It's obvious that he's drunk. His eyes are wide, his grin growing. He even stumbled a bit walking over here. Tobias only gets drunk on special occasions though.

Eric looks over to me and squeezes my shoulder

"Enjoying this dreamboat so far," he says jokingly, wrapping his sweaty hand around my knee. I slap at his shoulder

"You know you love me ya ol' fat-head," I say, my words slurring slightly

He chuckles deeply at this and says,

"That I do, dolly, that I do" he directs his attention back to Tobias

"You comin to the wedding chap?" Eric asks, a friendly look on his face

Tobias leans back in his chair and sighs

"Aaahhh I'm not quite sure,"

"Oh c'mon," I speak up

"Its not like a scallywag like you's gonna be busy any time soon. Come to the wedding!"

He smiles and then gives in

"Whatever the bride wants, the bride gets" he raises his glass to us as he says this, and Eric raises the empty bottle as they clink glasses

"Ain't that the truth, now," Eric says, bringing his hand higher up my dress

"Alright, well you two have a goodnight now," Tobias starts to get up

"Ah-ah-ah, Tobias, look at this rare sight," Eric points to the corner, where a cute blonde girl stares at Tobias

"Go get'm," they share a wink, and Tobias walks towards the girl, us laughing behind him.

As soon as he leaves, Eric turns to me. His grip on my thigh tightens, and I hold on to the collar of his shirt to control my hands.

"I think it's time for you to go to bed," he eyes me intently as I get up from his lap, and walk out the door, moving my hips from side to side

I can hear him whisper behind me

"Damn,"

PAGE BREAK

I lay in bed, still slightly sore from last night.

"Please just stay in bed with me," I plead to Eric, as he continues to slide on his pants

"I can't my sweet lass, I have a job" at this I sit up, and gasp at him

"I do too! But when you told me you wanted to 'celebrate our engagement' I agreed, and I still haven't talked to Miss Lanchester" I exclaim

He stares at me as he finishes tying up his shoes, a wry smile on his face

"You could've said no,"

I gasp yet again

"I did!"

He chuckles

"I love you darling!" He shouts as he walks out the door. I give out a loud grunt in response, and I can hear his laughter ring from downstairs

"Jack ass" I huff

PAGE BREAK

"This is the last time," Miss Lanchester puts a finger in my face

"No more missin' work!" She yells in her slight Scottish accent

"Miss, I'm very sorry about my absence, but Eric and I wanted to celebrate our engagement," I say

"Didn't you celebrate it last week? And the week before?" She asks suspiciously, and I put my hands on my hips, and raise my eyebrows

"That's what I said!" I say rather loudly, disturbing the current customers in the store

"Just get to work"

And I do

I spend the whole day cleaning the counters, putting merchandise in order, sweeping the floor, taking out the trash, making up for my absence.

At some point, I hear the bell jingle as I finish up sweeping the last bit of dirt

"We're closed!" I yell out

And I think there gone, until I hear loud footsteps behind me, and then the sound of a slam. I jump in surprise, and drop my broom.

"Who in the Sam hell do y-" I start to say, but my words are lost as I look up into the dour face of a man.

Into the dour face of a soldier.

"What was that, Miss?"

I stumble on my words

"Uhh-but-um...nothing, nothing... w-what can I do for you?" I swallow hard, and his smirk grows, making his fierce expression even more menacing.

I cross my arms, suddenly becoming overly confident

"I said, what can I do for you. Now your already causing me enough trouble with the store being closed-" I am cut off yet again by his loud voice

"Excuse me, but you have no right to speak to me that way"

"No right? No right? Sweetheart, I have every fucking right"

And I see his hand raise to slap me, but I never feel the blow

"Please excuse her, sir," I hear a deep voice say, and look up to see Tobias standing beside the man, a firm grip on the man's wrist, still in mid-air.

He yanks his hand away.

"You oughta teach your woman to be more respectful," he spits out, and I'm about to tell him that I'm not his woman, but Tobias nudges me hard in the shoulder

Tobias and the soldier continue to have an animated conversation in the corner until he finally decides to leave.

"You always have to pick fights don't you?" He shakes his head at me

"what was that talk about, huh?" I ignore his question

He stares at the ground for a few moments, before saying,

"Nothing of importance"

PAGE BREAK

I hear the bedroom door screech open, and listen for a moment. It isn't until I feel the bed tilt downwards until I sit up

I put a hand on his shoulder and pull him back slightly

"How come your so late? What happened at work?"

He continues to stare at the wall in front of him, not saying a word

"Eric?"

"War has started" he says solemnly, and I slowly take my hand off his shoulder

"What?" I say, my voice quivering slightly

He turns to me, and must see the worried look in my eyes

"Dont worry my dear, everything will be alright"

Without a word he removes his clothes and mine, and makes love to me until we're both utterly exhausted.

And it's like we both know what's coming.

The tragedies of war.

PAGE BREAK

"No, please, please don't leave me, please!" I cry out

He paces back and forth

"I-I don't have a choice, Beatrice"

He grabs my face in his hands

"If I did, I would stay here with you, I would. But I don't, and there's nothing I can do about that"

"But-but the engagement!"

He looks back at me, a dreary look in his eyes

"I'll come back for you Beatrice, I promise"

And so I waited. I waited for Eric to come back. I waited for his loving arms, his reassuring smile.

I waited for 8 months, and I was starting to lose hope, until one day, a military truck came by,

Filled with soldiers.

 **AUTHORS NOTE**

 **Please let me know what you think of it so far in the comments, bye guys!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

All I hear are cries of joy and recognition as I walk outside.

I take slow steps, inching closer and closer toward the truck. I hear constant "I love you's" and "I missed you's"

But most of them are wailing. Wailing, balling for this joyous moment. The moment when husbands greet their waiting wives, when father's embrace their long lost sons. Everything is fine. Everything is good in the middle of this street. People start gathering, some starting to bring out the champagne. A woman bumps into me hard, making me fall to my knees. I go down with a loud "oof.."

I now stare at my dusty hands, my dirt covered dress that I just recently bought, and now I'm going to have to ditch it, since I just happened to fall right in a small pile of mud.

My face contorts into a mix of annoyance and exhaustion. I start to slap my hands together, getting as much dirt off as I can, which only causes it to float into my nostrils, making me sputter.

And then I see a pair of boots right before my eyes. A soldiers boots. I look up slowly, toward the looming figure with the scuffed shoes, to see that it's Tobias.

My face breaks into a wide grin, teeth showing, and I wrap my arms around his neck, squeezing as hard as possible.

I can hear him talking, but I'm too happy to let him speak

"I can't believe your home! I never thought I'd see your boring face again!" I say jokingly, flicking the back of his neck hard.

I give him one last sloppy smooch on the cheek before releasing him. As I brush past him roughly, I say,

"I'll be right back, I'm gonna find Eric," my face immediately gets brighter as I think of seeing my man again. I can already smell that scent of his. In the mornings, he would smell clean, fresh, like he just took a shower. At night when he came home from work, he smelled of sweat, and water, but just the tiniest hint. I would always beg him not wash, but I was too embarrassed to tell him the reason why.

I feel a slight tug on my wrist, and turn to see Tobias, holding me back. The people in the streets are already starting to disperse, anxious to get home and celebrate with their loved ones.

I pull my arm away

"C'mon, he's gotta be here somewhere. Help me find him" I start to scan the scattered crowd, searching for my fiance.

"Beatrice,"

ignore

"Beatrice,"

ignore

"Beatrice!"

This time, Tobias puts a firm hand on my shoulder, and turns me around to face him

"What?"

And my heart breaks as soon as I see the look on his face. The look of pity, sorrow, and dread. I can feel a slight pain in my chest, making me wince. I tilt my head back a bit, and breath in the warm air. I close my eyes for a long time, before opening them up to see the stars forming in the sky, and then close them again.

I look back, searching for the truck, but am disappointed to see that it has gone, and so have the men that were in it. I turn back to Tobias

I start to shake my head slowly. Heat licks behind my eyes as I speak

"Please,"

"No, please" I single tear drips from my right eye

"Tobias, please!" I say louder, my voice cracking

"Please tell me that's not it. Please-please tell me this is some kind of sick joke!"

He looks at the ground, his long eyelashes brushing the skin under his eyes. And it's like a waterfall has burst out of me, along with bears, lions, and birds.

The tears flow fast now, drops running past each other, strange noises come out of my mouth. Noises I didn't even know I could make. At one point, I sqwak loudly and fall to the ground.

It's not only despair I'm feeling, but anger. I pound my fists against the ground and scream.

"It'snotfair, it'snotfair, it'snotfair!" I wail out, like a child would after discovering that she cannot get the toy she wanted at the market.

I dig my nails in the ground, trying to cause some sort of distraction, pain, that would be even more powerful than the pain I'm feeling right now. My fingers shake as I press as hard as I can, but it's not working. It seems to be that there will never be enough pain to overpower my emotions. And that just makes things worse. I put my head to the ground, my arms folded, and rock back and forth while saying quietly,

"It's ok, it's ok, it's ok, he's fine, he's fine, he's fine, it's ok, he's fine, it's ok"

I eventually feel warm arms wrap around my small figure, and lift me up from the uninviting ground.

PAGE BREAK

"You have to eat, Beatrice" Tobias says to me, nudging the bowl of oatmeal closer to my slouched frame.

"Not hungry"

He grunts

"Please. I'll give you...I'll give you 2 franks to take one bite. You need the energy B-"

"I don't care anymore, Tobias!" I scream at him while slamming my hand against the table, and by the look he gives me, I can tell he knows I'm not talking about breakfast.

There is nothing but silence at the table. He stares at his half empty bowl, spoon laying lazily on the side, and I stare at my hands, at my chipped nails, at the dried blood on the edges.

"I'm sorry" I finally say

"It's alright" he says softly

I take a bite out of my oatmeal, and sip my juice. I stick my hand out to him.

"Pay up,"

PAGE BREAK

I sit on my bed-on Eric and I's bed. On our bed. I cry. I cry like the crummy person I am, tears strolling down my face. I don't bother to wipe them up with a handkerchief, because I know there's more to come.

I stare out the window, sunlight streaming through. Below, a father plays with his children. He picks up the boy with one arm, and the girl with the other, and starts to prance and bounce around, making the children giggle in delight. I can hear the children's laughter, and I start to cry harder, this time whimpering slightly.

Eric didn't want children. I remember talking to him about it once, telling him about how swell they are, going on and on and on about their magnificence. And then I remember him exploding, like a volcano. Loud and abrupt. But it was quick. He shouted at me, telling me that he has never, and will never want children. So I slouched back down, defeated. He apologized later that night.

And now, having children with him isn't even a possibility. I hate to think that he's nothing but a corpse, rotting away on the battlefield where he once fought, but it feels like that's all he is now. It feels as if he was never here. Never did anything. He's just nothing, erased from this world, erased from life. But I shake my head and scold myself silently for thinking like that. I try, for just a moment, to forget. I forget about the past day, about the past 8 months, those miserable months. And I tell myself that everything is fine, everything is perfect, everything is going as planned. Eric is at work, and I'm here, waiting for him to come home, waiting to squeeze him and hold him and kiss him.

But that little moment of relief comes crashing down as the door swings open.

Tobias walks in, sweat soaked, carrying a red ball. He takes a glance at me, at my red nose, blood shot eyes.

He stands in front of me now, and I don't dare look him in the eyes.

"Beatrice,"

"What are you doing here?"

I sniff one last time before standing up

"It's my bedroom, I have a right to be here"

I walk out the door, him hot on my heels.

"I didn't say you couldn't be there, I just asked why"

"It's none of your business, now leave me alone" I shoo him off while closing the door in his face

"I can't" he says, his voice muffled.

"Why not?"

"Because you locked the door"

Realization hits me like a slap in the face.

I hold the door open wide, and point to the exit.

He turns back to me just as he's about to leave

"You s-"

"No"

PAGE BREAK

"Hear dolly, have another drink"

A man passes me another bottle, and I take it with gratitude, gulping it down.

I look around me, at the people. At the sauced people. I giggle as a see a man fall hard against another man, causing them to start a short brawl, before their buddies pull them apart.

The man next to me puts an arm around my shoulder. "Watchya laughin' at lass" his words are slurred

"My husband just died," I speak loudly, yet no one seems to notice

"Well-he was actually my fiance. He died in battle and now I don't know what to do cause my whole life was based on marrying him and having children with him, even though he didn't want any but that's ok, and now he can't make sweet sweet love to me at night anymore, which is a real drag!" I say this fast, and use hand gestures as I go

The man scoots closer to me, and whispers in my ear,

"You know miss," his hand fits to my knee, where Eric's hand was 8 months ago at the party

"I can fuck you, hard and sweet like your husband. I can give you exactly whachya want, just as he did." His hand slides all the way up, squeezing hard

"Ohh well I'm sorry to disappoint you,"

"But no one fucks as good as my Eric does. You shoulda seen him in action-truly incredible"

"Oh, well I beg to differ. I'm quite good at it you see," he bends closer to me, his mouth next to my ear

"You tell me what you like and it's done"

I hum in response, thinking about his deal, and then I come up with a conclusion. My eyes grow wide with excitement, and I turn to him.

"Alright then, wise guy, you think your so good huh," he gives a little smirk

"Oh I'm very good"

I smirk back at him in response

"Prove it"

PAGE BREAK

He pushes me hard against the wall, tearing at my dress. I wince as my backbone comes in contact with hard concrete

He un-buckles his pants in a clumsy manor, and then brings me down to the dirt with him on top, he spreads my legs wide, and just as he's about to go in, he gets yanked away from me.

I give out a groan of annoyance, and sit myself up on one arm. This seems to be happening a lot lately. Things being taken away from me. It only makes me mad.

I hear the sound of flesh against flesh. I hear the rustling of dirt.

And then I hear the sound of footsteps running away, and a man shouting,

"Fuck you!"

I can't help but shout back

"I thought you were going to, but apparently there's a change in plans!"

PAGE BREAK

I lay my chin on Tobias's shoulder as he carries me on his back, not being as gentle as I hoped.

I start to slide down an inch. He grabs my thighs roughly, and hoists me up, my pelvis pushing hard against his tailbone.

I give out a groan

"Careful there, cowboy"

"You always have to cause trouble" his voice drips with annoyance

" well, what in the sam hell is wrong with trouble, hmm?" I play with his ear, twisting and folding it down.

"Troubles fun, I like trouble"

This time he shouts

"Yeah I can see that, Beatrice." He sets me down roughly, and I hold onto his shoulders so I don't fall. He turns to me.

"The thing is, when you cause trouble, someone else has to clean up _your_ mess" he points a finger at me, then at him.

I shrug, and a smirk appears on my face

"And I am mighty grateful for that" I slowly start to stumble away from him as the world begins to spin.

"You can't do that, Beatrice!" He shouts

"Well why in the bloody hell not!"

He pauses for a moment

"Because-because," he gestures back to where me and the man were

"Do you have any idea how worried I was? I went to your place to find you gone, nothing but your water glass on the table, and then I searched for 3 hours, only to find you in an alley with a man fucking you like a whore!"

My hands roll into fists

"He didn't fuck me you bastard! You interrupted our little session, to my dismay. Things were going perfectly fine!" I try to point my finger at him, but it ends up pointing at a nearby trashcan to the side.

"Perfectly fine? Perfectly fine," he finally steadies me with a hand to my shoulder

His voice gets low, his eyes laced with anger

"You just learned that your husband was killed in battle, and your first reaction was to go and replace him with a no good woman user"

And then it comes. I bend over, and vomit the last of the alcohol in my stomach.

I make sure to get it all over his newly polished shoes. It comes out with so much force and energy, I have to hold on to Tobias's legs to steady myself.

When I'm finished, I wipe my mouth, stand up, and say calmly,

"Fuck you"

 **AUTHORS NOTE**

 **Please leave me a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The rain pours hard against the roof. Thunder strikes once, twice, three times, making a loud kaboom. The sky groans and wails, waiting for a change in pace. Another roar, this time added with a flash. the water only continues to accelerate, pounding hard on the ground, sounding like a drum about to break from impact. Wind wooshes, making tree branches give out a loud CRACK, and leaves sweep away, away from their family, away from their home, and then hit the window without a sound.

The noise pierces my ears, makes me cringe, but I've always loved a good storm. Especially ones like these.

But it's obvious not everyone favors it.

Celine sits in the corner, smoking her cigarette, taking a long drag every time a flash is seen, and stomping her heeled boot hard on the ground every time a boom is heard.

The house shakes with fear and angst as the next noise comes, this one longer, with more than one note. She slams her hand on the table, takes another drag at the white tail sticking inbetween her two fingers, and stares out the glass, her eyebrows furrowed, a menacing look in her eyes, as if daring the storm to go on, make her piss her pants once more.

Things are quiet then, nothing but the slight pitter patter of water droplets, and little flashes here and there. She reclines back into her seat slowly, a smirk etched on her face, feeling she's one this battle. But I know that there's more to come. Just as she's about to put her cigarette out,

BOOM, CRACK, POW!

Her whole body jumps in surprise, her black, curly haired head hitting the low hanging light above. Her cigarette misses the target, instead aiming for the palm of her hand.

"God Dammit!" She shouts, her voice clearly layered with frustration

"Are you alright?" I say to her, my mouth drooping lazily

Her head whips over to me, black eyes staring into my soul

"No, Beatrice, I'm obviously not alright!"

She stomps over to the counter, starts dabbling her hand with a cool cloth, her hair bouncing frantically around as she swears under her breath

I decide that I need some kind of distraction, anything that would pull my mind from this moment in time.

So I turn on the radio, twisting the nobs on the side, adjusting them to the correct volume and station, and then I lean forward on the table, trying but failing to listen to the staticy words.

"...Germans...war...Hitler...bloody..." I hang on to every word I can

"Turn that thing off, it's makin me cringe with all that buzzin" Celine says, wrapping her hand with an excessive amount of cloth.

"You don't need that much," I start to say, but her glare cuts me off. I shake my head at her

"I will use however much I want," she pronounces each word carefully, eyeing me up and down

After a moment, there's silence

"Dammit, I'm sorry alright," she plops down in the chair next to me

"I know what I sound like okay? I know I sound like a bitch! I don't mean to...it's just...it's just, once I start, I can't stop you know?" Her eyes plead with mine, but I just stare at the wooden table, eyes lowered

"no, no I don't know what you mean"

PAGE BREAK

The food jumbles around in the basket attached to my bike. In it holds a loaf of bread, a block of cheese, three apples, a stem of grapes, and a thick wool blanket. I hold onto the top of the heap as I go over a bumpy patch.

The rain has stopped, but the ground is mushy, humidity evident in the air. Not perfect, but it will do. It has to.

I swing one leg off and plant it firmly on the ground as I come closer to the small wooden house, which looks like it might collapse any minute now.

Just as I take out the basket of food, I see a glimpse of white.

I turn my head to see Tobias, working in the fields. That's just like him. Working the day after he's sent home from war.

That's just like him.

PAGE BREAK

I snap my fingers at Tobias, then point to the cheese right next to his calf, to far out of reach. I stuff another bit of bread into my mouth. He hands it to me without questioning my laziness.

As soon as he saw me coming towards him, I gestured to a tied up stack of hay near his feet, and told him to carry it. He started to question me, but I silenced him with a wave of the hand.

I settled for a spot near a creak, under an oak tree so that we wouldn't have to see the gloomy clouds. He plopped down the hay stack, and I covered it with the wool. He nodded at me with approval, and with very little words, we began to eat.

So here we are, him nibbling at a grape, and me stuffing my mouth with a whole loaf of bread and cheese.

"What, did they teach you to eat like a lady in the war?" I joke, my voice slightly muffled

He sips at his wine and says,

"No, but they taught us to conserve it so we don't go hungry" at this I am silent. I mentally face palm for being so inconsiderate.

"What was it like?" I ask in a small voice

"Its not something I can explain, Beatrice"

"Try," I beg

He gives out a sigh

"It was bad...I didn't like seeing the dead bodies everywhere we went,"

"Even if some of them were Germans. It's..." He shudders involuntarily

"Barbaric, inhumane. Sick. War is an awful thing"

He hangs his head, and I'm about to put a hand to his shoulder, when he speaks again

"I liked to see the children though. We visited some villages in far off places, and they were there, waiting for us. It just..it was refreshing. After a battle, or a long day of work in the tunnels, it was the best part of my day to see their smiling faces." His mouth turns upward slightly, and I bite my lip to keep from crying

"Was it painful?"

He shrugs a shoulder

"Sometimes it was painful to leave if I-" I interrupt him

"No," my voice shakes and my next breath shivers. I look him dead in the eye

"Was it painful," I say this slowly, and we stare, my eyes glassy, full of desperation. And his cold, full of dread.

He breaks his gaze away from mine. He knows exactly what I'm talking about

"No," he says in a whisper

"It was a quick death,"

"Your lying" I tell him firmly

"I am not. He got shot in the heart, Beatrice. The bullet went straight through, no sign of it anywhere, just the whole through his chest."

And then I break down. I Crumple up and turn away from him, sobs lurching my body forward. And then I feels his arms around me again

"I'm sorry, Beatrice." I continue to sob while he speaks

"I shouldn't of put it that graphically, it's my fault"

"Why...how" I cry into his arm

"How can you speak that way of him. I know that you two were friends. I saw you. How can you talk like that?" It sounds as if I'm accusing him, but I'm not. I want to know his secrets

"It's better for me. I try to toughen myself up by telling it the hard way, but I didn't take you into consideration. I'm sorry"

I sit up, and take a deep breath in. I start to laugh shakily, tears still brimming at my eyes

"This did not go as planned" I wipes at my snot filled nose as he scoots closer to me, rubbing my back

"What do you mean?"

"Well," I start

"I came here to apologize to you for my absurd behavior last night. I shouldn't have been drinking. I shouldn't have been out. I shouldn't have been out with another man, I know. I'm sorry"

He nods his head in response

"I'm sorry for what I said too, I can be harsh sometimes"

I laugh

"You? Harsh? Please! Your as soft as a plush teddy bear!" We laugh, and I take another swing at the wine bottle, abandoning my full glass that sits on the other side of me.

We both take turns, chugging at the bottle as much as we can. We make a contest out of it.

At one point, he drinks what's left in four huge gulps. As soon as the bottle departs from his lips, he burps loudly, making the crickets pause their chirping just to listen to his magnificent gas bubble exploding into the air. He finishes, and I abrupt with laughter, clutching my stomach.

His cheeks turn a slight shade of pink

"I'm sorry, Beatrice!" His words come out lazy, as if he just woke up, but he tries his best to keep up with his mouth as he speaks

"That was incredibly ungentleman-like of me-" I slap a hand to his mouth and he jumps in suprise, making my ribs hurt.

"That was incredible!" I shout, more to the trees than to him

A smile slowly appears on his face

"It was unnecessary, but yes, it was incredible" he shows his pearly whites

Both of us are obviously sauced, me more than him. I'm about as drunk as I was last night at the bar, but instead of being pulled into a dark alley with a strange man attached to my ass, Tobias takes me home instead, holding onto my arm tightly, with me making corny jokes along the way.

He tucks me into bed, and as he's about to leave, I grab the sleeve of his shirt

"Hey, hey wait!"

"What is it Beatrice?"

"Just one last joke," I hold up a finger

"Please?"

He nods his head, rolling his eyes while I squeal in delight

"Ok, ok! H-how do you spell "blind pig" in two letters?"

"How?"

I start to crack up as I reveal the oh so humorous answer

"P G-pig without an I! Ha! Get it? Get it?"

His smile widens, and he shakes his head at me

"Yes, I get it"

"Aren't I just so clever?" I laugh, tilting my head back. Tobias even starts to chuckle a bit before saying,

"Extremely"

 **AUTHORS NOTE**

 **Please leave me a review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I wait to be awoken.

I wait for his fingertips to brush against my thigh, warning me of daylights appearance. I wait for his puckered lips and hushed voice to whisper in my ear, "it's time to get up, darling" while I fidget under the covers and groan when I realize that the wonderful dark sky with glistening specks and shooting stars is gone, and that I now have to rid myself of the tranquility of night, and move on to the stresses of day.

But that realization never comes, so he must be downstairs making breakfast. So I wait for the smell of bacon to waft through the halls, for it to finally reach its destination, and enter through my nose, fill my body with its mouth watering scent.

But that never comes.

So I assume that Eric must've skipped breakfast, and that any minute now, he'll come bursting through the door, bringing his loud voice with him. He'll jump on the bed and ruffle the pillows. He'll sing, " get up, get up, get up, get up!" enough times to makes me go bonkers, enough times to make me grab fistfuls of my hair and scream through clenched teeth as he continues his sick chanting. Until I finally yell at him "you better shut your mouth before I come over there and shut it for you!"

And he'll go to the farthest corner of the room and smirk at me while taking another bite of his oatmeal

"Come and get me"

And I wouldn't be able to hold back the smile etching its way onto my face. I'd chase him around the room until he stomps downstairs with me following. It wouldn't be until he's sat me down and gotten me my own breakfast before I'd realize his dirty trick, and all through the meal I'd stare at him accusingly, ashamed yet impressed simultaneously.

My grin grows wide and I bite my lip, my eyes shut tight.

The arousing sound of a car horn is what brings me out of my daydream, out of my stupidity.

My eyes slowly start to adjust to the light streaming through, and the smile on my face fades away, replaced by a single tear. I hastily wipe it away, and sit up in bed with my legs spread, back slouched and arms laying lazily between my thighs. Instead of sobbing like the emotional wreck I am, I ponder over how incredibly depressing my life is at this very moment, and how depressing it will continue to be until the day I die. No more Eric.

No more 'be-bop, sha-do-bop, ba-de-bop-pop'in anymore

No more midnight sex

No more engagement

...

No engagement

I tilt my head back and laugh.

 _Of course!_

Just another shitty thing about this life that I have to continue on with. I've been waiting so long to be hitched to my sweet man. It was at the tip of my fingers, just barely within my reach. I longed for the day to transform from "Miss" to "Mrs". And now that's not an option. That option fell off the edge of a cliff and into a deep dark abyss of nothingness, taking pieces of rock and dirt with it as it tumbled pathetically to the bottom of the mass of black. When it landed, it exploded, obliterating everything in its path, leaving nothing but a small heap of rubble. A small heap of lost hope that will never be found, because I'm too damn tired to search for something as pointless as a metaphorical pile of hope. And even if I were to search for it, it would take a hell of a lot of work to find it, and when I did, I would be utterly dissatisfied with my foundings. It would no longer be a bright, yellow ball of energy, but more like sand. I would pick it up with my pale hands, and watch as the wind blew it away, howling it's tune of despair. It would whistle in my ear, send a chill running down my spine as it whispered,

 _"Your too late"_

PAGE BREAK

"And do you know what this is called,"

The eight your old swings his legs, feet far from the ground as he sits in his chair, I assume thinking about the question. His head tilts back, mouth open with his tongue sticking out slightly. I wouldn't be surprised if he started drooling. I press my lips together, trying to suppress a grin. I tap my pencil once more on the paper, directing it towards a comma.

He stares blankly at it.

"Uuuuuuhhhhhh"

...

"Uuuhhhhh"

...

"A squiggly thing?" He replies with a smile, showing his nonexistent front teeth

I scrunch up my nose

"Not exactly hun,"

For the next hour, I desperately try to explain grammar to the little man with the red hair, who seems to be paying attention to anything but the lesson. At one point I snap my fingers in front of his face, causing him to jerk towards me with an innocent look in his green eyes.

"What did I just say,"

He has two sets of dimples on one side of his cheek, but none on the other. His freckles crinkle as he answers,

"You said, "what did I just say?""

I can't help but approve of his sly way of thinking. Something that only few people have the ability of. Eric was like that, always telling witty, yet eye-roll worthy jokes.

I cross my arms

"Well aren't you just the smartest kid on the block," I raise my eyebrows at him as he giggles

"Knock, knock"

I look up to see Mrs. Miller, her knuckles grazing the door

"We were just finishing up," I say as I gather up Benjamin's workbook

"How'd he do," she says, eyeing her young one

"Great, as usual. Always making me rethink things" I smirk at him as he drums his hands on the table, having no idea about his surroundings

She laughs

"Can't imagine my boy making someone as intelligent as you rethink anything"

"Thank you, and your boy is very clever, he likes to think out of the box. It's good" I hand her his books, and a strange feeling overwhelms my body as Mrs. Miller stares at her son, stares at him with a look of pride and joy, something I hoped to accumulate over the years, something I hoped to use with my child as he or she takes baby's first steps, goes on his or her first date, walks down the aisle, or waits for his bride. A lump forms in my throat, making it painful to swallow. I sniff

"Alright, well it's been great to see you"

I usher the two out with a wave of the hand, and slide my back against the door as I hear a soft click.

I can't help but wail

Not only is having a life with Eric out of the question, but also having kids. I won't be able to braid my daughter's long blonde hair, or watch peacefully out of the kitchen window as father and son play a game of catch, Eric giving him tips on how to hold it firmly so that he doesn't drop it, and complimenting his stature, the way he follows through.

I pant as the last salty tear runs down my cheek

I haven't thought about it till now.

It seems like I'll never get over this hump, never get over the man who stole my heart and nurtured it for so many years before he decided to leave for another journey, go to another land where everything is perfect, where all is good, all is safe. And he took my heart with him for safekeeping. The only problem is that I need it back in order to live a happy, fulfilling life. But I have a feeling he won't be giving it back to me anytime soon, and I'm fine with that.

He can keep it as long as he wants

PAGE BREAK

I suck on a piece of straw and fan myself with the hat that Tobias gave to me

I sit on a bale of hay as he rakes at the dirt. I wipe at the sweat beading on my forehead

I stare at Tobias as he continues to jab at the ground, exhaustion obviously apparent. He takes another long strokes, causing a piece of grass to fly up and land on his baggy pants, which look like they haven't been washed in years, maybe not at all. His white shirt sags off his frame, showing some of his chest hair. The sun is starting to set, casting a shadow under his prominent cheekbones. He straightens his posture, sets both hands on the wooden stick in front of him, and tilts his head back, panting. I can't help but notice how alluring his body looks as the light shines behind him. His shirt is made with a thin fabric, so I'm just able to make out the outline of his toned muscles through the cloth.

He gives out a groan, which my mind recognizes as a sign of exhaustion, but my body thinks otherwise.

I grab the end of the straw sticking in between my teeth. I bite hard as he reaches up to rub the palm of his hand against the back of his neck, eyes closed, mouth open. I rest one hand behind me, leaning back slightly. My eyelids become heavy as he licks his lips and gives out a sigh. Something stirs in my stomach as he takes the bottom of his loose shirt and brings it up to wipe his face. My hand crawls closer to the edge of the hay stack, looking for something to hold onto as my theories are confirmed. His abdomen is nothing but defined muscle, extremely attractive defined muscle.

My hand finds the edge of the hay stack, but instead of holding onto it like I planned, my fingers continue their path off its trail and into the grass, my body and the bale falling with it.

I give out a snort of embarrassment.

Tobias's head pops up in front of me

"You alright," he asks, voice hoarse. He sticks a hand out to me

He pulls me up and dusts off my dirt covered sleeve. I clear my throat

"Thank you" I look up to meet his eyes, which was a huge mistake

I piece of his curly, dark brown hair sticks to his forehead. I see a drop of sweat on the side of his hooked nose. He's still panting agonizingly slow, and there's a sudden rush of adrenaline in my body as I push him, but instead of putting my hands on his shoulders, I set them on his face and shove, causing his neck to crane back, his body following along as he falls onto the stack of hay I was recently sitting on.

He grabs onto the sides of the bale to steady himself. He looks at me, face full of bewilderment. Laughter erupts from my mouth and I stop abruptly as he raises an eyebrow

"It's not funny" I say quietly, although a shit eating grin slowly spreads across my face.

He shakes his head

"It's isn't funny,"

I nod

"So why are you smiling?"

I try to suppress my smile, but it bounces back like a spring

He gets up, knees slightly bent, hands in front of him, as if ready to attack.

"Apologize" he demands

I bite my lip

"You know I can't do that Tobias"

"I'm warning you Beatrice. It's about to get very ugly very fast"

"You threatening me boy?"

He sends a flick of the eyebrow my way before running at me, full speed

I give out a scream as he tackles me to the ground, shoving his shoulder into my stomach. I smack at his head, pulling at his wet hair as he pokes a finger in my side.

I kick my feet up and squirm while he gives out little grunts, I assume trying to set me into place

"I'll stop on one condition!" He shouts

I pause

"Go on,"

"You have to massage my shoulders for..." He scrunches his eyebrows together

"One hour"

PAGE BREAK

I sit on the stack of hay with Tobias on the ground, in between my knees.

I push my palms into his shoulders, lifting myself up slightly, but it doesn't seem to be working

"Come on Beatrice, you can do better than that"

I grunt

"I'm pushing the hardest I can!" I exclaim

He scoffs

"Your over exaggerating, just imagine I'm someone you hate,"

"Don't have to pretend," I say smugly

"If you hated me, you wouldn't be trying so hard to please me right now"

I dig my fingers into the crook of his neck, squeezing my eyes shut as I push. And I feel a surge of accomplishment as Tobias sighs, resting his head on the hay behind him as I go. I scoot closer and squeeze tighter and tighter around his knotted shoulders. It isn't until he gives out a loud groan when the feeling I had earlier comes back. And for some reason, I proceed. I guess he's right. I am trying to please him, trying to hear those sounds of satisfaction come from his lips.

He gives a throaty groan and rests his arms on my knees, head tilted slightly. I bend my elbows, jabbing my fingers into the muscle, which looks to be painful, but is apparently the opposite. He moans loudly this time,

"Mmmmhhh, that's...that's good"

My eyes snap open and I immediately stop my actions.

"Has it been an hour?" He says, finishing off his last sigh

I swallow and scold myself silently

"Yeah, yeah its been an hour"

I scoot back and swing my leg over his head.

"I think it's time to go, it's getting late" I dust my dress off

He stands up, hair ruffled from my arms rubbing against it as I massaged his neck.

"Want me to walk you home?"

I shake my head

"No, no that's not necessary. I'll uh..I'll see you tomorrow alright?"

He nods

I turn around and almost trip on a tuft of grass sticking out of the ground. I shake my head and laugh at myself.

"So stupid Beatrice," I chastise myself while rubbing my temple

"So stupid"

 **AUTHORS NOTE**

 **Question: What does the 1940's slang term, "blivet" mean?**

 **Please leave me a review. What do you think should happen next?**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

He feels a bursting pain in his side as he first opens his eyes. The sky above him is red, outlined with black from his poor vision. He lays in a pile of mud, or what he hopes to be mud. He watches as a line of blood strolls down his arm and makes its way to the dirt beneath him, mixing with the soil, becoming one. He cannot feel his legs, but somehow he knows their there lying limp, waiting for him to pick them back up, waiting for him to bring them anywhere else but there. His finger twitches once, twice, sending him a signal. He tries to tilt his head just the slightest, but his neck seems to be malfunctioning, so he uses his sight, bringing his brown orbs to the edge of the land where a horse lays, kicking it's feet up in the air and bobbing its head up and down, as if that would do it any good. He brings them up to the sky. Somehow the clouds have gotten darker, filled with death and utter desperation. He feels that desperation now as it filters in the air above him. He wants, more than anything, to go home. To be with his fiance. He wants to hold her in his arms, thank her for giving him the years they've spent together. He wishes so desperately to tell her that he loves her. If only he could tell her that. But he realizes that he can't do that, that he will never be able to do that. So he wails, just like the fallen soldiers around him. He wails for his love, for his life to be saved. And for his poor soul to be brought home.

One by one, the soldiers rise. They don't bother to bring their guns, they don't need them where their going. And he watches as they disappear into the soft light. Before he realizes, all the men are gone, leaving just him. Leaving just him and his broken heart.

He trembles in his presence. He walks with grace. He watches as he turns a wilted flower into a blooming tree, it's leaves sprouting new leaves, those leaves sprouting Apple's. He turns toward him as he adds dandelions to a now growing field.

"No need to be fearful, my sweet child," he says to him

"No need to cry,"

"I will bring you home, where you will prosper under my eyes,"

"Come with me now, so I can nurture your wounds,"

"Come with me to a place where all is good."

He takes his hand and leads him to the light , telling him that everything will be alright, everything will be just fine

"I'm taking you home"

PAGE BREAK

I giggle as Eric runs a finger down my thigh

He pulls back, lips swollen and hair ruffled. His eyes show contentment

"What,"

"Your tickling me," I say biting my lip

He raises his eyebrows

"Oh?"

He flicks his forefinger lightly against my stomach, scuttling it up and down my sides. I slap at his hand, trying not to laugh.

"You never told me you were ticklish," he pecks at my bare stomach while the tips of his fingers poke at my hips.

"Liar," I shout, finally letting the laugh escape from my mouth

He looks down at his pants which I just happen to be wearing.

"You know, I would love to have my pants back, but they look so dang sexy on you, I think I might just let you keep em'"

He begins ride up the pants, pointing out all the "remarkably beautiful" things about my legs

"And there's this fascinating beauty mark on your right thigh-oh wait...nope that's just a motorized freckle"

I squeal while wiggling my legs at high speed, trying with all my will to get the cursed bug off of me.

"I'm just joking,"

I slap him in the back of the head

"Jerk!"

"Aww come on dolly, you know you don't mean that,"

"Oh but I do," I say indignantly

"You know how much I hate bugs,"

He rubs a hand against my breasts, but I pull away from him

He looks up to me, eyes wide, lips pouting

"I'm sorry. I will never ever do that again. Can I make it up to you?"

I sigh in exasperation

"Promise,"

He olds out his pinky finger and hooks it around my own before pulling me closer to him and "making it up to me"

"As much as I love to see my trousers on you, I'd much rather appreciate it if they were off"

He doesn't waste time. Before I know it were making love like crazy, my legs spread wide, his sweaty hands on my bare waist.

With every breath comes a long moan, begging him to continue. I find it interesting the way my body reacts to his, the way my back arches in response to his thrusts. The way his fingers tremble as I give out little sighs. It's a vicious cycle.

"Hhhhhhmmmmm" his voice is low

He rarely makes noise himself, too much of a man. But it's his groans that get me going. I love to hear the sounds of pleasure come from his mouth, know that I'm not the only one who's deep in satisfaction.

The sound of a crack brings us out of our trance. Eric's first response is to roll off of me and throw me my dress while he buttons his shirt up. This happened once before. A hunter was searching for prey to kill, when he just happened to stumble upon us in the middle of a field, completely nude. The man saw everything, but he was kind enough to apologize.

As I finish buckling up my heel, I hear a snicker behind me

"Look, you can see the broads underwear,"

"Really? Lemme see, lemme see!" My head snaps back just in time to see four teenage boys, staring with anticipation at the sight. Obviously they've never seen anything close to a naked woman before, and they've decided that now is a wonderful time to explore their sexuality. It makes me wonder how long they've been standing there.

Eric picks up a large stick and runs at them yelling,

"Scat! Shoo, you dirty knuckleheads!"

Once the boys realize that they've been caught in action, they scurry back to their hole

"My night and shining armor,"

Eric tosses the stick into the lake and returns to me, face beet red, full of anger.

"I'm gonna pummel their scrawny little-"

"Hey," I put a hand to his shoulder

"It's alright. Their just boys. Besides, I kind of like the attention" I add with a wry smile on my face

"Oh really? Well then go ahead and marry one of them boys if you want, I ain't stoppin you one bit! See how much attention you get in bed. Fella wouldn't even know where to put his cock!"

I raise my eyebrows and lean back

"I'm just kidding Eric. What happened back there?"

His nostrils flare

"...I'm sorry, it just...it makes me angry to think about another man looking at you, let alone a dang teenager!"

His fist pounds against the dirt

"Baby, they didn't see anything, trust me. I had my dress on within ten seconds."

He eyes me

"Your sure?"

I nod

He sighs

"C'mere"

He sits me in his lap, whispering sweet nothings in my ear while I leave a trail of kisses down his neck.

PAGE BREAK

I stare at the multicolored tulips that Tobias brought me today. I questioned him, asking why he would bring me flowers at all.

"You should be brought flowers everyday. Every woman should, I mean." He answered, eyes low

I laughed and shook my head, staring at their petals

"You, bringing me flowers everyday," I mumbled to myself

"Ridiculous."

His eyes met mine

"It's ridiculous for a woman to be treated the way she should?" His voice was soft

"Well Beatrice, if you think like that then you must have some trouble with self esteem, correct?" He nodded along with his words

I started to object, but he didn't let me say my first syllable

"I shall bring you flowers everyday then, each day a different flower"

"No Tobias-"

"It is already said Beatrice, you can't stop me now"

Without another word he stomped out of the house, leaving me behind him, full of astonishment and confusion, holding a bouquet in my hands.

I slide my finger along the insides of a bright orange tulip, enjoying the smooth texture. I lift up my hand, eyeing my finger carefully. My once polished nail is now covered in pollen.

"Wouldn't be good for a white dress," I blurt out subconsciously

It takes me a minute to realize what I've said. I don't bother crying this time. I'm all dried up like an old well.

I still have the dress. It's hanging in my closet, untouched. It's really a shame I'll never get to wear it. I love that dress.

I worked all day and all night to afford it. I even took up a part time job working as a tutor. Once I finally got it, I marveled at its beauty. It's long lace sleeves and white trimmed neckline was enough to make me swoon.

The only problem I have now is what to do with it

PAGE BREAK

We sit at his crooked wooden table, making small talk here and there while sipping at our wine

"How's work in the fields?"

"Oh it's good, very good"

...

"Did you get that promotion at work yet?"

"Yes, yes. Really helped with the bills"

...

"How's your dog? I haven't seen him in a while."

"Oh he's fine. He's out in the back. Great company, he is"

I nod, a smile plastered on my face

...

"So how-"

"I have a proposition," he interrupts, suddenly sitting up straight in his chair

"...and that is?"

He looks around, as if searching for something. I watch with as much amusement as I can as he fumbles with his pockets clumsily, shaking the table as he hustles along.

He walks briskly over to me, which doesn't take long since it is a small table, and kneels down at my side. It isn't until he pulls out a golden ring that I start to panic. My hands slam against the table, and I stand abruptly, making the chair screech.

"No,"

"Beatrice,"

I stumble back, waving a finger at him

"Don't you dare, Tobias Eaton"

He comes closer, holding his hands out in front of him

"Just-just here me out,"

He fumbles with his words as he speaks

"I-I know this may seem...incredibly bizarre! And...stupid, and..and.." He shakes his head

"And extremely bad timing, but-"

"Bad timing!" I shout

"Just wait, please!"

I cross my arms

"When Eric was dy-...when Eric got hit, he asked me to do this. He asked me to give you a happy life, Beatrice. He made me promise. Now, I _did_ promise him, I promised him on my life that I would,"

"I'm sorry to put this much pressure on you, and I'm not saying that you have to agree to this, but...but,"

"Beatrice prior, will you take my hand in marriage?"

He looks down at the ring, then back up at me

I stare at him, mouth ajar. I almost want to slap him, to scream at him, to scold him for being so dumb. My first thought is to reject him, to walk out the door and to never speak to him again.

But then I think back to what he said. It was Eric's last dying wish, for him to marry me. At first, I'm angry. Angry at Eric's absurdity and nonsense, but then I realize why he wanted it this way.

He didn't want me to be alone. He didn't want me to marry a man that he's never met, never knew, never trusted. He knew Tobias, trusted him with his life, trusted him enough to trust him with my life.

And I get it now.

And for some reason, I know I can't reject him. It was his wish, it still is. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I wasn't able to grant it.

So I breath out the words I never thought I would say

"yes"

 **AUTHORS NOTE**

 **What do you guys think of that chapter huh, huh? Please leave me a review!**

 **QUESTION: What is the meaning of the 1940's term-** _ **Motorized Freckles**_ **?**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Why can't you at least think about? Their not as bad as you think they are," I say, pleading

"Beatrice, you've known that I've never wanted children-"

"I know, but I just wish that you'd give it a chance,"

"I don't want to give it a chance, I know what I want,"

"But you never even-"

"Beatrice!" He snaps at me

"I have never felt the need to have children, and I never will. This discussion is over."

I stare at him expressionless, unable to put my emotions into a category. I feel as if I've been slapped in the face, and I have. I've been slapped in the face by reality. I didn't worry about it, because we've never talked about it. But now that he's said it, laid it all out on the table, it's as if a wall has opened. Except this wall brings disappointment and destruction.

I slowly back away, my hands behind me, flailing until I find a chair to sit on. I lean back and stare at the ceiling, too overwhelmed to speak.

I hear his voice, I feel his presence, but I don't see him. It's as if the world has disappeared, leaving just me and this rickety chair.

"Just sleep on it, alright?" His hand pulls at my wrist, but I just stare straight ahead, not bothering to answer him. I try to imagine a life without children. I imagine myself coming home to a barren house, fixing myself a meal, and waiting for Eric to come home so we can talk about our barren lives. I've always wanted a family, children to take care of, sing to sleep at night, pick them up when they fall, watch as they grow, transform into a whole new human being. But now that that's not a possibility, I feel as if my life is over, like there's nothing for me now.

"Beatrice," he snaps me out of my daze

I look up to see him sitting on the edge of the bed, boots already put aside. He pats next to him.

I sit down slowly, keeping my distance from my own fiance. He doesn't seem to agree with my actions. He scoots me closer to him and puts his arms around me, my legs now on top of his. He cradles my face in his hands as he speaks

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so frank with you. I just needed you to hear my point, alright,"

I nod, although I want nothing more than to blow up in his face. I know I can't do that.

He begins to rock me in his muscular arms, "reassuring me about the situation". I know I can't fight with him about this, so I simply just say,

"Ok"

PAGE BREAK

The cigarette hangs from my lips, waiting to be smoked as I stare at my closet, at the beautiful white fabric hanging from the door.

I make the mistake of taking a sip out of my beer. The nicotine and alcohol mix together, creating an even more poisonous taste in my mouth. I spit it out at once, spraying it all over my bedroom floor.

"Fucking hell," I mumble to myself, wiping my mouth

I stomp on the alcohol drenched cigarette, already starting to spark a flame. I wipe up the puddle, glaring at the dress as I do so. I stand up, putting my hands on my hips.

"Your just a stupid dress," a point my finger at it accusingly, as if a piece of cloth was the one who caused me all my troubles

"I am not afraid of you," I pronounce each word slowly, scaring myself in the process. Just to prove myself, I try it on.

My anger diminishes as I look at myself. I can't help but twirl, staring in awe at its magnificence, at how the bottom of it flares out as I spin, at how it hugs at my sides and ruffles at my hips. I rub the silky sleeve against my cheek, sighing in content.

Just as I finish up folding it neatly together, Tobias marches in. It only occurs to me now that I'm only wearing undergarments.

I scream while covering my chest

"Get out, get out, get out!"

He jumps, accidentally tripping on my glass bottle on the way out, stumbling severely as he slams the door

"How did you get in here!" I shout in frustration

"The door was unlocked," he shouts back. His voice is loud, so he must be right outside the door.

"And you think it's alright to just barge in here?"

"I was worried, alright? I haven't seen you in a while,"

I give out a groan

"Two days, Tobias. It's been two days,"

I can here his sigh

"Can I come in please?"

I slip on my dress

"Come in,"

He leans against the door frame as he speaks

"I wasn't sure how you would react to the...the sudden change,"

I smooth my hair down

"What am I going to do, murder someone?"

He gives me a look

"Oh come on, that's just low,"

He straightens

"No, of course I didn't think you would go on a killing rampage, I just thought you wouldn't be so happy with your...with your current position,"

"But you will be, Beatrice. I-" he comes closer, eyes sincere

"I'll do as much as I can to make you as happy as possible, I-"

"Yes Tobias, I know," I say, looking out the window

"I just wish it wasn't you who has to do that"

PAGE BREAK

Sometimes I have to remind myself to take it slow. There's so much going on in my life, I can't help but think about the future. It feels like days ago, Eric proposed, kneeling in front of me with a shining ring sticking from his fingers, begging itself to fit onto mine.

I look at it now, it's diamond glimmering in the light, the silver band holding on firmly to my finger. I can't help but compare it to Tobias's ring. I wince at the phenomenal difference.

Eric's ring is silver, a bright, shining crystal glued to the center. It is truly a beautiful piece. And then I look at Tobias's ring, which is nothing but a gold circle, slightly oversized to fit my slim finger, but there _is_ something magnificent about the simplicity of it.

I turn to him, and speak in a soft voice,

"Where did you get this ring,"

he looks up from his paper, glasses hooked on his nostrils

"It was my mother's," and just like that he's off to work again, scribbling down notes here and there

I've been staying at his small little cabin for a while now. Mainly because he suggested it, saying that we'll need to get used to living with each other, so we might as well start now.

I hear his sigh, and then the sound of paper against wood

"You don't have to wear it...if you don't want to," he takes off his glasses, folding them carefully and setting them beside his paper

I pause, trying not to get distracted by his toned arms, which just happen to be resting right before my eyes

"No, I'll wear it..it's just,"

I stare at the two rings, one for each hand

"It'll take some getting used to,"

"Take as much time as you need, Beatrice. There's no rush,"

I nod

I take a sip of my tea, and something catches my eye in the corner of the room

"What do you listen to," I point to the record player sitting idly on the hard wood

He directs his attention towards it, eyebrows raised

"Oh, well I don't really listen to anything. No time, I guess"

I stare at him, quizically

"Then why do you have it?"

"It was passed down from generation to generation, thought I'd keep it as a talisman,"

I can't help but test it out, setting the tip on the record to be surprisingly satisfied as a violin begins to play.

"Hmm," I glance back at him

"Still works"

I sway to the melodic music, catching every note, memorizing every key change. It isn't until I feel his presence behind me, that I turn around.

He holds his hand out to mine, flicking his blue orbs between me and his arm. I take it, clasping my left hand to his, and setting my right hand onto his broad shoulder. We move our feet to the music, only sliding an inch or two along with the beat. He heaves, showing his well built chest through the thin, white fabric every time he inhales. My mouth begins to water at the sight, so I look away, hoping to find something to distract me.

My eyes can't help but settle on his jaw. His stubble shifts slightly as he clenches his teeth. My gaze shifts to his nose, nostrils flaring slightly as he intakes a breath. And then I move to his lips, and how dangerously close they are to mine. His tongue swipes across his bottom lip in one quick motion, causing me to tighten my grip on his shoulder. He pulls me closer to him slightly, I assume trying to be discreet.

I slowly start to lower my head into the crook of his neck, closing my eyes as we continue to rock to the music. I've figured out at this very moment that there is nothing better than the feeling of Tobias's hand resting on the small of my back, his breath hot against my ear.

I feel a shiver run up my spine as he redirects his hand. He glides his finger up my arm, making its way up to my neck. He lowers his head to my ear, and rubs his soft lips right under it. His lips skate across my skin, moving upward, and stopping at my cheek. He presses slightly, so that it's just barely considered a kiss.

And then his lips begin to move towards mine. I suck in a breath, and lay my palm on the line of his jaw, waiting for his lips to connect with mine. And it's like time is frozen, his mouth less than an inch away from mine, my hand resting on the back of his neck

I can almost taste him. I want nothing more than to press my mouth against his, to fold in his arms and stand together until the moment ends, until the world ends.

But that never happens. The once beautiful tune of violin and harp turns into a screech, so unpleasant to the ear, I scrunch back, ruining the wonderfully dangerous moment that Tobias and I could've had.

He marches over and swings the point off the record, finally ceasing the unfortunate sound.

He clears his throat

"Alright...well...it's late...I'm going to bed, alright?"

I nod, rubbing my arms as he walks past me

I snap my fingers in disappointment as I hear his door shut

"What the hell do you think your doing" I mumble to myself as I pace in the extremely tight room

"Your on dangerous grounds, Beatrice,"

"Dangerous grounds indeed"

 **AUTHORS NOTE**

 **Please leave me a review! Let's try to get it up to 35, eh?**

 **Question: What is the meaning of the 1940's phrase, "buy the farm"**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

He lays his head in my lap, finally resting his eyes from the hard day of work. His once rapid breaths become slow and steady. He purses his lips occasionally, giving out a much needed sigh. I set my book down and start to run the tip of my forefinger along the cracks and crevices of his face, gliding it down the declination of his nose, tracing the outer edge of his mouth, and rubbing soothing circles along his cheeks bones. My other hand reaches for his hair, but instead of feeling the silky smooth texture that I hoped to feel, my palm is met with a greasy substances, making me cringe and pull my hand back. I wipe the grease on his shirt and give out a groan of disgust. One of his eyes pops open, his one bloodshot eye squinting at me.

"What,"

I shake my head

"Nothing dear. How was your day?"

He grunts, squirming in place in discomfort

"Do you really need to ask," he grumbles, pressing the side of his face into my thigh

I nod, even though he can't see me

He tosses and turns, flailing his arms and bending his legs at the same time. It's an interesting sight, almost pathetic. Like watching a baby fumble around on a blanket while wailing for his mother to help him turn himself on his back.

I can't help but make the comment,

"Would you like me to burp you, little man?"

He stares up at me, eyes narrowed. He smirks slightly, despite his frustrations.

"Actually, yes that would be quite nice"

He settles on his stomach, head resting on mine while he gestures to his back

I scoff

"Immature"

"Well you did ask me if I wanted to be burped. How can I say no to that offer. And besides," he hiccups

"I think it's working"

I tilt my head, grinning

"So your calling yourself a giant man baby?" I snicker while he raises his finger in the air

"I never said that," he adds defensively

"We might as well get you a crib, wouldn't want you crawling out at night" I continue

"Oh, and we can't forget your binky!"

His smirk reappears

"Oh don't worry, I have my binky," he makes a swift movement, digging his face in my lower chest, making sucking noises while I laugh, shoving at his ear

He returns to his place on my stomach, cheeks red from smiling. There's a silence before he says,

"I love you, ya know,"

"I love you too," I run my palm down the side of his face

"And yes, I know"

PAGE BREAK

I wander through the field, kicking pieces of dirt and rocks out of my way. It's been exactly three days, and I have done absolutely nothing. Besides staring out the dirt streaked windows and taking abnormally long walks. I have nothing to do with my time.

I tried to help Tobias with the dishes yesterday after dinner, but he shook his head, saying,

"No Beatrice. As long as your in my house, on my property, you don't have to lift a finger," and with that he sent me off to bed

"Oh no, Beatrice. Don't you dare lift a finger, just rot here while I drink my beer and smoke my pipe," I mimic him, making hand gestures as I do

"Beatrice! Put that broom down! You don't need to clean, the dirtier the better, right!" I exclaim, this time I answer

"No Tobias, dirtier isn't better!"

"Oh and Tob-"

I gasp, covering my mouth with my hand as I see him bathing in the creek. I hide behind a tree just in time as he turns in my direction.

I almost scold myself out loud for being so reckless.

I turn slowly, popping my head out ever so slightly just so I can gasp yet again. I snap my head back, pounding my fists silently against the tree. Of course he's bathing in the creek. Of course he's covered in sweat. Of course he's half nude. I listen as my conscience and temptation debate

 _No, you can't peek on him! It's disrespectful!_

 **Ah-ah-ah! Yes you can! He dragged you here, your aloud to do whatever you want!**

 _But he brought you here for your own good, because he cares for you. How dare you even think about doing something so sinful as to stare at him while he's bare! Your not even married yet!_

 **Oh but you will be! Your going to see his deliciously scrumptious body anyways, why not now!**

 _But-_

 **And just think about those muscular arms of his**

Of course, temptation won this battle, but I must say it was a damn good fight. My eyes droop with satisfaction as soon as they meet the godly body. His back is arched, spine peeking out and biceps flaring as he splashes his face with water. He stands, rubbing his neck while wading in the creek. I grip onto the tree branch tighter as he flexes his muscles while scrubbing at his hair. My heart feels as if it's been melted away, leaving something as bare and vulnerable as the man standing in front of me. It leaves a quivering ball of desire and lust, which I would normally scold for being the way it is, but I can't help but give in. I shiver as he whips his hair back, and ponder about why God would give me such a man. Why he would let me see something as magnificent as the sight before me. I thank the Lord as I see a glimpse of his toned abdominal. But then my breath catches in my throat as his hand reaches for the buckle of his pants

"No," I whisper

"Please don't,"

I want to look away. I so very badly want to look away, but I can't. So I wait eagerly for the brown cloth to slide down his legs. I'm so eager I have to put all my weight onto the branch that I'm holding, causing it to come crashing down, me tumbling with it. I crawl back, trying to find the best hiding spot,

but instead I find a snake

PAGE BREAK

I poke at my bandaged hand while sitting on the deck, Tobias packing up the medical equipment.

"So," he starts

"You wanna tell me what you were doing so close to the creek," he scratches at his still damp hair

"With me bathing in it?" His eyebrows raise, and I know I've been caught red handed.

There's no going back now, no denial or lying.

"Look," I say, my voice firmer than I expected

"I have found out in the last couple of days, that I am extremely-" my voice is cut off by the sound of barking

More specifically, the barking of my favorite dog. I gasp, throwing my hands up in the air as the golden speck comes running towards us

"Is that-"

"Yep," Tobias grins

I run to him, like a woman would her husband in a romantic film after being separated for a long period of time. And it's like this is a film, like I am being reunited with my loved one. Except my loved one is a dog, and I am more than happy to be greeted by a slobbering snout and wagging tail.

"Who's my good boy? Who is?" He barks in my ear, making me cringe but laugh simultaneously

"Looks like he's missed you," I hear Tobias's deep voice from behind me

"Well of course he has," I rub behind his ears

"He loves me!"

"Come on, it getting late,"

"He can love you inside"

PAGE BREAK

We sit on the bed, drinking red wine while the dog lays at our feet

"You remember when I had to swallow that cigarette in Mrs. Bennett's class?" He says, smile beginning to spread

"You kept that sucker in for a full 3 minutes," I laugh, slapping his knee

"I remember it precisely" he nods

"And," I encourage him

"And it burned like holy hell,"

I can't help but burst out laughing, startling the panting beast at my feet

"I was scared to death of her,"

"And you had a right to!" I exclaim, taking a sip out of my wine

"That woman had a stare like medusa"

"No kidding," he pauses

"She came over my house later that day, claiming that I'd been smoking,"

I snort

"Well you had been, you even had smoke coming out your nose,"

His grin falters

"My parents didn't find it as funny. After she left, my father got so mad he slammed a vase against the table. Scared me to death, but it kept me out of trouble,"

I hum in response

I start to turn my head, but there's a sudden popping sound.

I give out a groan of discomfort

"Shit," I mumble while rolling my neck around

"Are you alright?" He asks, turning towards me

"Yeah, my necks just a little stiff I guess,"

"Here," he set his wine down

"I never got to return the favor, c'mere"

He pulls me in between his legs, his crotch just barely touching my tailbone. Unlike I did, he presses his palm in the crook of my neck, pushing forcefully. I involuntarily sigh

"Thata boy," accidentally pops out of my mouth, but he must take this as a sign of encouragement. He pushes harder, digging his thumbs into my shoulders while the rest massage just below my head. I tilt my head back, eyes closed just as he did. I feel his hot breath on my neck

"You know we have to talk," he says, and I know exactly what he means

"No we don't," I respond, rolling my head in pleasure as he continues

"Push harder" he does as I say, squeezing my shoulders tightly while I moan

"Yes...we do," his voice is hoarse

"Fine. We'll have the wedding at the church, we'll have all our friends and family there, and then we'll come back here and sleep" I say quickly

"When,"

"Ah-I don't know...how about-"

"Tomorrow," he says, and I scoff

"No," I exclaim as he presses harder into my neck

"Thats too soon!"

"Fine, then Friday"

"No," I say once again, causing his thumbs to push into my shoulders

"In a week" he presses harder

"Five days," harder

"Four days," harder. I groan out, grabbing onto his pant leg. I tilt my head back farther

"Your not hurting me," I say, my voice almost a whisper

He comes close to my ear

"I think I've figured that out," he pushes again

"Aaahhh," I'm panting now

"Then...then maybe we should do it in a month," I say, hoping to get the reaction out of him that I hope.

I do.

My back arches as his hand massages lower. I grab onto his knees tightly

"Mmmm. Dammit, Tobias," I almost laugh

"Keep going," he says

"Fine," I pause

"Friday...take it...or leave it,"

He's quiet for a moment, then nods

"Its a deal"

 **AUTHORS NOTE**

 **Thank you guys so much for the reviews! It means a lot to me! I would love it if people continued to leave me comments.**

 **So let's start a game. You guys tell me one thing about yourselves in the comments. Rules: nothing personal, just a fun fact. You don't even have to tell me your name, ok? I'll start. Fun fact: I once at a whole pizza in 20 minutes. Impressive, right?**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"How could you? Your husband just died in war, and here you are marrying another man! Are you happy that he died? Is this what you wanted?" He says to me, eyes full of hatred

"Caleb, how could you say that? I need you to understand that this is hard for me too. You have know idea how hard this is, but what would I do? Who would provide for me? I know Tobias. I know he's a good man, treats me well. He was my best choice" I reply

"How would you know if he was a good man? You barely know him"

"I've been staying at his house for some time-"

"You've been staying at his house," He asks, astonished

"I suppose you've slept with him too, huh?"

I stand up abruptly, my chair screeching behind me

"I will not be treated this way. You know I wouldn't do that," I mumble quietly, speeding for the door while he stands there smugly, arms crossed

I'm about to step outside when he stops me

"Wait," his head is down, eyes lowered

"I'm sorry for being rude, but things are not going well," he whispers

"I mean about the war. Things will be getting very dangerous, very soon. I just-" he comes closer, putting a hand on my shoulder

"I'm worried, dear Lord am I worried," he tilts his head back, closing his eyes

"I'm worried for this country, for the soldiers fighting for it, and now I'm worried for you. I don't want you to marry this man, Beatrice" he finishes

I stare shakily at his blue tie as I speak

"Then don't come to the wedding,"

"Don't be stupid, now. I'm coming to the wedding, no doubt" he says

"Well you won't be invited if your gonna act like the Debby downer your being right now," I slap at his arm, trying desperately to lighten the mood. He intakes a breath before saying,

"Just...just be careful with him, alright? I've heard..I've heard bad things..."

I scoff

"Don't believe everything these people tell you, Caleb." I chastise him

I walk out the door, him shaking his head behind me, an anxious look on his face. As I step outside, I can't help but wonder about these mysterious rumors that've been going around the town about Tobias. They can't possibly be that bad,

right?

PAGE BREAK

Lucile stares at the stained piece of paper in my hand, lips pursed. Her hair seems to be overly frizzed, eyes more bloodshot than usual. She turns her head away.

"I don't need an invitation. I know about the wedding," I can't see her face, but by the tone of her voice I can tell that she is not overly joyed by the news

"You do," I ask, slightly surprised.

"But your the first person I've told about it,"

She snickers

"People in this town are quite devilish, I'll tell you that much," she pours herself another shot of whiskey.

"Are you alright," I ask, almost afraid to hear her answer

Her face turns sour as she tosses the glass behind her, deciding that chugging the strong liquor from the bottle would be a much better idea. It drips from her lips as she pulls the glass away from her mouth, nose scrunched up as she swallows, except she keeps it there, so it isn't the burning alcohol that's making her face look the way it is. It's me.

"No, I'm not alright. I'm anything but alright," she spits at me, standing unsteadily while the bottle swings lazily around her.

"Excuse me-" I start to say

"Your very good at this," she waves her finger in the air. I broaden my shoulders, getting tired of this drunken act of hers

"Good at what,"

"You've always gotten everything you've wanted. Perfect hair, perfect dress, perfect guy,"

I scrunch my eyebrows

"Ya know," she takes another gulp of the alcohol, tilting her chin up

" Your not the only one to sleep with Tobias,"

"I haven't slept-" I object, but she interrupts me yet again

"I know that you think he's this preserved little boy, never touched before, but your wrong," she smiles, teeth jutting out

"He's had quite the number of girls in his trousers, so don't you dare think that your his one and only," her voice rises. She slams the bottle down for a moment, not before picking it back up and chucking it at my head. I duck just in time.

"How is it that he'll marry someone as prissy as you, but not me, huh," she melts to the ground, cheeks now smudged with her tears as she screams,

"I just don't get it!"

I look down upon her and feel nothing but pity and sorrow. Here lays before me a girl who came into the world full of the same hope that everyone comes into the world with. The same hope that seems to be ruined by reality. Chewed up and spit out, left with the other specks of disappointment. Hope just seems to get in the way of things these days.

"I never wanted this," I say

"Oh sure you did-"

"No," I shout, voice starting to crack

"I was happy," I point my thumb at my chest, tears threatening to fall

"I was. I was the happiest person alive. And I _did_ have everything I wanted, really," I sniff

"But I don't want this," I shake my head, snot running freely and tears flowing out of my eyes constantly

"I just- I just- Dammit!" I scream

"Everything was going so well!" I shout to the top of my lungs

"And then-and then-and then..." I put my hands in front of me, tremors making my arms twitch

"Everything falls apart," she finishes for me

I nod

And we stare at each other in silence, and it's in this moment that I realize that this is the first time that I understand her, understand that the way I'm feeling right now is the way she feels everyday. And it's as if she's read my mind as she says,

"Welcome to the club sweetheart, there ain't no goin back"

PAGE BREAK

I stumble around in my white dress, the dress that I've been dying to wear for months now, the dress that I thought would solve all of my problems, but now just seems to be the cause of them. People glare at me as I bump into them. I want to yell. How dare they stare at me with such disrespect at my wedding. I look fucking beautiful, and all they have to say about it is "watch it,"

I ask myself again why I wanted to have this wedding in a church. It just seems like an awful idea now, so many people fumbling about. The priest is in the corner, reading over his bible, and to make it even better, Jesus looks down on me from the cross that sticks in the center of the wooden platform in the front. I can feel the disappointment in his eyes.

"Look at yourself," he scolds

"Your a disaster!"

"Yes, yes I know that!" I say back, making the people around me stare

And it all becomes too much at one time, so I run to the side wall, where a wooden door with a golden handle waits to be opened. So I do open it. I press my back against it, panting even though I only ran a couple feet.

I stare into the back of Tobias's black tux, and then the answer comes. And then the realization hits that I'm in his changing room, and he's here buttoning his sleeves.

I put a hand to his shoulder, turning him around. He opens his mouth slightly

"What are you-" I shake my head, dismissing the question. He looks me over for what seems like hours before saying,

"You look stunning,"

"Finally!" I shout, startling him

"Someone who agrees!"

"We're not supposed to see each other before the wedding. It's bad luck" he says, and I stare at him in awe

"Luck is last on the list of my problems," his laugh is short

"Do you want to talk?"

I shake my head

"Water, then?"

"...yes...that would be nice.."

He's only gone for a couple minutes before he sits me down, an ice cold cup of water in my hands, which I just can't seem to drink in this awkward silence

"Ok," I start

"Rule number one. Never rub my back when I'm sick. I hate that" I shiver at the thought

"Your turn,"

He thinks for a moment

"Never let me sleep in. I like getting up early,"

I nod

"I can do that"

My turn

"Never do everything for me, please. Let me do something. Make dinner, sweep the floor, anything"

He nods, rubbing his chin

"Never-"

"Tobias-it's time"

I hear a deep voice say from outside

We look at each other. My body shakes from head to toe as we stand, but he seems to be perfectly content as he take my arms in his

"Never pass out during important moments like these," he jokes. I slap at his arm before replying,

"Never not be there to catch me"

PAGE BREAK

My breath shakes on the way out. I stare at Tobias, like he told me to.

"Just look into my eyes and you'll be fine"

That doesn't seem to be working as he slides the ring onto my finger, as the priest closes his bible and says,

"You may now kiss the bride,"

PAGE BREAK

He bursts through the door, leaving it open for me, my dress trailing behind. Once the door is shut, once there is no escape from the prison of uncertainties, we stand there in an awkward silence. Waiting for something, anything to happen.

"That was...nice...good.." He says slowly

"Yes, yes. Very good..." I reply

He sighs, shaking his head

"I don't want things to be...uncomfortable between us, alright," he starts

"Your my wife now, and that's something to celebrate"

He heads for the cupboard, getting out a bottle of champagne and two glasses

"How long have those been in there?" I ask him

"I got them for tonight"

I don't know why his reply shocks me. I played this moment over and over again in my head hours before the wedding. We would come to his house, make small talk, and then I would casually announce my exhaustion and stumble off to bed. So far, nothing has gone as planned. He pours the champagne gracefully, the liquid fizzing as it meets the bottom of the glass.

I take a single sip out of it before saying,

"This has been great, but I'm really tired...so-" I would've finished my sentence if it wasn't for his hand on my wrist, and the pleading look in his eyes

"Please," he says

"Pretend. Pretend we aren't husband and wife. Pretend that a war isn't going on around us. Pretend that were just two friends having a drink on a Friday night."

I stare at him before saying,

"I think I can manage that"

PAGE BREAK

We've already gone through the whole bottle of champagne, and it's only been a half hour. He's done a hell of a good job keeping it lively though. He's done nothing but tell me bizarre war stories of him and his buddies.

"Turns out the so called "bomb" we were staring at for the past 12 hours was just a large rock," he says

"Chief was so mad at us, he made us all clean up the dining room for a week"

He reaches for another drink, but soon finds out that his glass is empty

"Hmmm. I probably should've gotten another one of these," he tilts the glass slightly, staring at the remaining drop, and then he glances at my glass

"Here,"

"I will let you have the last drop of bubbly," he starts to drip it into my glass, but I stop him

"Oh no, please. You have it!"

He shakes his head

"The lady always gets the last drop" he drips it into my barren wine glass while I roll my eyes at him

"Who taught you to treat women the way you do," I ask, tilting my head slightly

He pauses

"Well, I did,"

"Your lying"

He shakes his head

"I was just...I wasn't around gentlemen as a kid, probably the opposite," he says

"And I hated the way they acted towards their women. So I promised myself that I would never disrespect women like those men did"

"What men?" I ask, and he lowers his eyes

"My father"

PAGE BREAK

My lips depart, finally giving into the yawn that's been etching at my throat. Tobias smirks

"Tired, are you?"

"Just...just a little bit,"

He looks down at his lap before holding his hand out to me

"Lets go to bed," he says quietly, not quite reaching my eyes

He leads me to the bedroom where he casually starts to take off his slacks. It's only now that I realize that I'm still in my dress, and he's still in his tuxedo. And then I realize that my arms aren't long enough to unbutton the dress in the back.

I clear my throat

"T-Tobias," I say, my voice gravelly

He looks up

"I need you to unbutton my dress...please" I turn around, crossing my arms

He's silent for a moment, I suppose pondering over whether or not he should agree to the task.

"Ok,"

I feel his warm fingers brush against my skin. They start at my neck, and travel down to the small of my back, the pressure increasing as he continues. I bite my lip as I feel his palm press against my backbone. He slowly moves his hand to my shoulder and squeezes.

He turns me around to him, one hand underneath my dress, the other on my cheek. His lips press against mine forcefully. I can tell he's been waiting to do this for awhile. I grab onto his tie, pulling him closer as his hand goes lower. The hand underneath my dress now moves to my elbow, the cloth following. His other hand pulls my sleeve down, finally revealing my chest. He bends his head down, kissing my neck. I sigh as he kisses the skin just above my breast.

He pulls the dress lower, so that my stomach now shows. Lower, my thighs. Lower and the dress is completely off, leaving just me and my underwear.

His lips increase their speed. He gets down on his knees, kissing my stomach, the curves of my hips. I pull him back up to me, lips reuniting with a passionate pull. I swing my arm around his neck and start to unbutton his shirt as his hands tug at my waist. He sits me down on the edge of the bed, our kisses becoming desperate as he tries to pull off my underwear while I slide down his pants.

He stands in front of me in nothing but his underwear and his tie. And I sit here, wondering why in sam hell would he stop now, when it's just getting good. He stares down at me and starts to back away.

"C,mere" I beckon to him

"What is it,"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have touched you like that... _that_ was disrespectful," he says

I set a hand on his forearms crossed over his chest, pulling him towards the bed

"You didn't disrespect me. It would've been disrespectful if I didn't like it,"

"And you liked it?" He asks

I bite my lip and whisper in his ear

"Please continue,"

I kiss his shoulder, and lean back into the mattress, pulling him with me

He lays on top of me, leaving a trail of pecks down my neck. I can tell he's still not quite as comfortable as before, so I grab his hand and set it on the back of my thigh. His breath is hot against my collarbone. My hips instinctively roll up into his as he squeezes. I hold on to his shoulders. His lips have stopped, but his hand reaches for my underwear, pulling them off in one swift flick. He runs the back of his hand along the inside of my thighs, and I spread my legs, urging him to go on.

Before I know it, his trousers are off, and he's slowly entering me, both of us giving short bursts of gasps and "aaahhhh"'s. I suck in a breath as he goes deeper.

"Mmmmmm"

He pauses for a moment before starting, moving his body into mine, making me squeak. I incline my head while he kisses sloppily at my neck, thrusting harder. I arch my back, forcing a low groan to come from his throat. And right there I decide that that is the best sound in the world, and that I will do anything to make that sound come from his lips again. So I incline my hips as his come crashing down, which causes yet another moan.

His thrusts become longer, deeper. So deep I have to cry out in delight. I hoist myself up on my forearms as he continues. His hair is matted with sweat, bobbing up and down. He gradually slows down, and then rolls off of me.

"How...how was that," he asks, turning his head toward me, covering my body with a blanket which I kick off.

I rest my head on his chest and say,

"It was damn good, Tobias,"

"It was damn good"

 **AUTHORS NOTE**

 **Please leave me a review!**

 **Fact about me: I am taller than my sister, who's 4 years older than me**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Do you ever feel like your world is crashing down? Like someone is setting fire to all your memories and dreams. Like all that ambition that you once had a full stock of has just dissolved into the thick, greedy air. Like all the happiness that you could've mustered up in the past years, is gone in a flick of the finger. When it is gone, your nothing but flesh and bone. Just your boring, soulless self. The only emotion that you have is anger and frustration. Your so incredibly infuriated at the person who did this to your world, your spirit. You wonder how a person could do such horrible things. But then your mind snaps open like a peanut being split in two, and you've got it. That person is you. You realize that your the one who's capable of ruining lives, ruining your own life. But it's like there's two different you's. One that's desperate to get your life back, the other content with the idea of destroying it. The dejected you, and the nefarious you. Two sides that consume your whole being. Two sides that will eventually self destruct, leaving nothing but a pile of ash.

A silent tear falls down my face slowly, making its way to the wrinkled bed sheets as I whisper,

"What have I done?"

PAGE BREAK

Their eyes burn into my delicate soul, puncturing its once confident being. My shoulders slouch, neck scrunched back timidly as people stare and whisper. I tighten my hold on the bags as I hear someone say,

"Look, she didn't even bother fixing her hair."

I subconsciously lower my head, feeling nothing but shame.

"How could she do that to her boyfriend?"

"Right after he died?"

"She didn't bother wasting time"

"Yep, fucked him as soon as he returned"

"Just get what you came for, Beatrice" I mumble to myself, jaw clenched

"This will all be over soon"

So I straighten my strained figure and clear my throat, eyes glaring forward and head held high. It isn't until I feel a slight pain in my ankle that I turn around. A heavy set woman walks toward me, pebble in hand.

"W-what do you think your doing?" I ask

She grins, revealing a set of piss stained teeth.

"I'm just giving you what you deserve, sweety" she throws another pebble my way, hitting my foot

"Stop that!" I yell, backing away

She gestures to the women behind her, picking up another rock from the dusty ground. At first, I think this must be some kind of hiccup. They must've mistaken me for someone else, some inconsiderate, low life woman who happens to look a lot like me. But I soon realize that this is no mistake. All around women gather, picking of pieces of gravel as they crawl towards me, like a predator would it's prey, backs arched and claws ejected.

They throw their rocks at my less than intimidating figure. One hits my cheek, and I slap my hand to my face, dropping the groceries. I yelp as another hits my elbow.

"Stop it!" I scream

"Stop it now!"

Someone throws a massive chunk at my waist, making me bend over in agony, clutching my stomach. And then I run. When I was a child, I used to pretend that someone was chasing me so that I'd run faster in races. Except now I don't have to pretend. They chase me until dark clouds loom overhead, until I feel a drop hit my face, stinging my bloody cheek.

I pant, tears bursting out of my eyes as I run, even though I am no longer being chased by my attackers. I run because I want nothing more than to feel safe at this very moment. And the only person that can help me with that right now is Tobias. His muscular figure and broad frame seem to fit the solution to my problem. My foot catches in the mud, making me slam hard into the ground, hands spread out in front of me. That doesn't stop me from getting back up and springing back into action, except now I have a limp.

I involuntarily sigh as my eyes find him hauling a bale of hay to the side of the house.

"Tobias!" I scream, causing him to crane his neck in my direction

It isn't until I see him speeding towards me that I finally melt to the ground. The rain only pours harder, the ground only gets thicker with mud.

He collects me up in his arms and carries me to the house while I shake and whimper.

"Its alright, Beatrice" he tells me

"I've got you"

PAGE BREAK

He dabs at my swollen cheek, setting his hand on the table as he leans closer.

I cast my eyes down, too embarrassed to even show myself.

I feel as if a part of my dignity has been taken away. I wish I could curl up into a tight little ball, hide myself from the cruel and gruesome world. If only there was a way to do so. If only. But the fact that I can't do that, that I will never be able to do that, hits me like a slap in the face. I can't help the tears from flowing.

Tobias hushes me, like a mother would her child.

"Its alright, Beatrice. It over now."

I nod

"Now," he sets the rag in the bowl of water beside me

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" He asks quietly

I shake my head, biting my lip as I grip on to the wooden table

"Beatrice, wouldn't you think things would be a whole lot easier if I knew what all of this was about?"

Of course he makes perfect sense. Of course I have to tell him the truth.

I sniff once before starting

"I-I...people don't like me" I say, a sob bursting from my mouth

"The...the women from town...they-they hit me"

He furrows his eyebrows, voice low and menacing as he says,

"What do you mean, they hit you?"

"They threw rocks at me" I point to my cheek, making Tobias step back

"Your telling me, that those women did this-" he gestures to my cut

"To you?"

I nod

"They also called me a whore" I mumble, making his head snap up

He slams his fist on the table, breathing heavily. Before I know it he swings the door open and stomps into the gloomy atmosphere, leaving me stumbling behind him.

"Wait! Tobias, no!" I call out to him as his feet pound into the mud

"Why?" He turns around, face fuming

"B-because it doesn't matter anymore-"

"Doesnt matter?" He stomps toward me, arms flailing to express his discontent

"Yes. It doesn't matter, because it's water under the bridge. It's over now."

He stares at me, chest heaving and fists slowly unraveling as the minutes go by. He walks over to me, grabbing my waist with his gentle touch and pulling me in for a kiss.

He tugs my bottom lip between his, using slight pressure as I wrap an arm around his neck. He rubs his palm along the small of my back, making my eyes roll into the back of my head. I break away, not before giving him another smooch on the cheek.

"Lets go in," I say

"It's fucking cold out here"

PAGE BREAK

I run my index finger down his bare chest while he traces the curves of my hips.

"I wish we could do something about it" I grumble

"Like what?" He asks

"I...I don't know...I just... I wish I didn't have to live like this. Afraid of being tortured again"

"Your not happy" he says, more like a statement than a question

"Well...I don't know. I'm happy with you, I am"

He nods

"Wait..." I say, a lightbulb starting to click on

"What is it?" He inclines his head against the pillow

"What if we moved somewhere else?" I tilt my chin up toward his face

"Move," he asks with a short laugh, and I frown

"Is it that ridiculous?"

"No, of course not"

"Then why are you laughing" I prop myself up on one elbow

"I'm sorry, it's just that...I've always been here. This is where I grew up, made memories"

I nod solemnly

"But...but maybe it's time for a change...if you really want"

"I do," I say, face beaming and eyes bright

"I do want this"

"Ok," he grins, sitting up

"Pick a place, then. Any place"

I feel like a kid in a candy store. There's london, Italy, even Spain! So many flavors, so many choices to choose from. It seems completely bizarre to pick just one. But then I've got it. I reach out my hand, fingers trembling as I lean into the metaphorical shelf that holds my future.

"France"

 **AUTHORS NOTE**

 **Sorry I took such a long time! Please leave me a review! Ok, so this is personal. Have any of you guys ever felt like your losing someone that's dear to you? Like your both slowly drifting apart from each other? If you have, or are currently going through this, please contact me. I am going through this same thing right now, and I honestly don't know what to do. Everything is changing between us, and I'm just not used to change. So I thought it would be a good idea to talk with someone who has had experience with it, or someone who I can talk with, relate to. It would help me a whole lot. Thanks guys, bye!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

May 10, 1940

3:45 a.m.

"Beatrice, wake up."

...

"Beatrice,"

...

"We're here. Wake up."

I tilt my head up, squinting my eyes.

"What?" I ask while yawning

"We're here" he points out the windshield of his car to Bussy, France.

It's almost impressive at how fast we were able to get out of town. It's like we we're running from something, and maybe we we're. We were running from the conflict that was for sure going to rise. Half of the town already thought I was a whore, and there's still those supposed unknown rumors about Tobias.

It was hard breaking the news to Caleb, but I knew it had to be done. He yelled at me, at first. For being so frisky in my decisions. "You can't just run away from everything that scares you, Beatrice!" He said. He was right. I was scared. I didn't want to be, but Tobias was scared too. Scared for my safety. Eventually he calmed himself down, after figuring out that yelling wouldn't change my mind. So he tried to reason with me. He even offered up his own house, which was in the middle of the woods, surrounded by trees and nature. But I shook my head at him. "I don't want your house, Caleb. I want to get out of here, always have."

That is the truth. Ever since I was a child I dreamed of going to new York or Chicago. Some place totally out of proportion. But never had I ever thought about going to France. I sure as hell didn't think about going with Tobias.

So we packed our bags and said what the hell, let's do something wild. But there was just a tiny problem with the "luggage". More specifically, the dog. Tobias and I stared at the slap happy beast, wagging its tail back and forth. "We can't leave him," I said, shaking my head. "Of course not. There's just no room for him in the car." He replied back, crossing his arms. He squatted down to the dogs height, petting his golden locks. "We could always strap him to the roof." He chuckled as I slapped the back of his head. "Tobias Eaton!" He put his arms up in defense "I'm joking, I'm joking".

Tobias put his finger in the air. "I've got it!" He said, running back into the house. He came back out with an empty suit case in hand. "Well. I suppose he could fit in here," he gestured to the bag. I gasped at him. "Your kidding!"

He replied back with a cheeky grin,

"Afraid not"

PAGE BREAK

"This is it." I say in awe, standing in front of our house.

"This is it" he copies, hauling my suit case inside

I would move, but my legs don't seem to be working at the moment. It all seems too surreal. Doubt washes over me, making the insides of my stomach twist and turn. Why did we do this? Why did we have to move to France? Why did we leave so quickly?

"Oh!" Tobias stands in front of me, eyes wide

"I'm so sorry, Beatrice. I almost forgot."

"Forgot what?" I ask

He smiles at me, and takes my face in his hands. His lips press against mine softly while his thumb rubs over my cheek bones continuously. I sigh against his mouth, my arms laying flat against my side as I enjoy this pleasant moment.

"This," he mumbles, before picking me up bridal style and scampering into the house, me squealing in his arms. He slams the front door while I watch the dog prance around the house, sniffing the unfamiliar French ground. I feel his hands slip around my waist and his chest press against my back.

"We don't have a bed." He starts

"But we do have a table"

He directs my head to the room on the left. Sure enough, there stands a sturdy oak table. I turn around, looking him up and down before saying,

"That's perfect"

He swallows hard, eyes low as I unbutton my dress. Before I know it I stand in front of him, bare naked. I cock my eyebrows up.

"What are you waiting for?"

He picks me up by my waist, sliding me gracefully onto the table. I help him rip off his pants, hands roaming anxiously.

I grab onto his shoulders as his hips move, resting my chin in the crook of his neck. He sets his hands on my thighs, gripping onto my flesh. I sigh out his name multiple times before laying back on the table. I wrap my legs around him, my arms bent behind my head. His lips part, giving out a satisfying grunt. His hair is matted with sweat already, and his nostrils flare as he leans in. I look to his right, expecting to see his side, but instead I see a drooling tounge and black eyes. I sit up at the sudden change of scenery.

"What is it?" Tobias asks

I point to the golden retriever.

"He's just...watching..." I say, covering my bare chest with my hands

Tobias chuckles

"He must be enjoying this then,"

"Your a sick bastard. I hope you know that." He says to the dog. I slap at his shoulder

"Make him go somewhere else."

"Fine, fine" he grumbles shooing the dog off with his hand. I can't help but smirk at his bare ass. He turns around, spreading my legs for me.

"Alright?"

I nod

"Lay back down, please"

I do as he says, my back pressing against the wood as he climbs on top of me. He redirects my legs around him as he enters me again. The table barely shakes, which is surprising since his movements are fast and forceful. I prop myself up on my elbows as he kisses my neck, open mouthed. A long moan escapes from my lips as my head droops back.

"Dammit!" I smack the table with my hand as I see the golden blob out of the corner of my eye.

"Tobias, he's watching us again!" I whine, frustrated

He looks over to the sneaky little canine. He sits up, bringing me along with him. He runs a finger down my spine, making me involuntarily shudder. He leans his head in and whispers,

"Let him"

PAGE BREAK

I slice the carrots into thin little slivers before tossing them into the boiling pot.

I always enjoyed cooking. I'm pretty damn good at it too. I remember cooking for my family when I was younger. They applauded my talent, my mom whispering to my dad, "she got it from me". It's something I can take pride in. There's nothing more satisfying than a well prepared dish made with my bare hands. I guess it's like that with a child. You hope for people to love your creation, savor it. But even if they don't, that's alright, because _you_ love it, _you_ cherish it. And you don't give a damn if no one else does.

I sprinkle some spices here and there, adding to my masterpiece

"Tobias," I yell, turning off the cooler

"Lunch is ready!" I here him stomping down the stairs, and get out two bowls

He takes the bowls from my hands, but I stop him.

"No, no, no. It's my turn to serve you. Sit down." I point to the ground, since we don't have any chairs and there's no way in hell were eating on the table we just had sex on. I scoop out the chili, watching as it drops lazily into the glass.

I sit down next to him, handing him his. He takes a heaping bite, a spare bean dripping from his chin. For a moment he's silent.

"This is really good" he says in a hushed tone. I smirk at him while sliding the spoon in my mouth

"I know"

There's a sudden knock on the door, and Tobias's head pops up, as well as the dog's. He looks at me for a moment, confusion evident in his eyes

"Probably just the neighbors" I reassure him, patting his knee

He nods

"Yes, of course. I'll be right back" he sets his food next to my leg and gets up, heading toward the door. I hear the squeak of the hinges, and wait for the conversation to start. I can't see who came, there's a wall blocking my view.

Minutes pass, and I still don't hear anything. Maybe he went outside? I set my bowl down next to his. The dogs ears flatten against his head, bottom lip curled down. Either Tobias has dissolved into the air, or the neighbor isn't as friendly as I hoped. Footsteps shuffle against the floor, and I straighten my posture. Relief floods over me when I see Tobias standing in the middle of the doorway. But there's something not quite right about his expression.

He breathes out his next sentence, the hair on the back of my neck standing up as he says,

"The Germans are here"

 **AUTHORS NOTE**

 **Oooooohhhh. Looks like this story just took a twist. I'm sorry if you guys think the sex scenes are too..."graphic". If you don't like it, don't read it. But I am going to change the rating to "M". Please tell me what you think of this sudden turn of events in the comments! Any ideas on how the war should affect Beatrice and Tobias's life?**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Eric, where are you taking me!" I laugh as he drags me behind him

He turns abruptly, and says in a hushed tone

"To a place where magic lives"

"Ok," I say with a short laugh

"Are there unicorns there too?"

"Only if you want there to be, baby doll" he replies with a wink

He continues to pull me along the dirt trail until we come to a short stop.

"Close your eyes" he demands, and my smile falters

"Is this the part where you steal my change and murder me? You know I always had a feeling-"

"Just close your eyes Beatrice!" He repeats with a playful glare

"Fine, fine" I sigh while shutting my eyes

"Ok, now just...just hold on..."

I hear rustling in the bushes nearby, and fidget nervously. What if he really is an axe murderer? He could be getting his killing machine right now and I wouldn't do a thing about it because I can't see a fucking thing.

"Ok," I hear him say, voice raspy

"You can open them now"

He kneels before me, a diamond ring squished between his fingers. I gasp and hold my hand to my chest, stumbling backwards in surprise.

"Will you marry me, Beatrice Prior?" His voice shakes, and tears fall from my once covered eyes.

"Y-yes" I sob while he picks me off the ground and spins

"She said yes!" He shouts to the trees, then looks down at me, a smile evident on his face

"You said yes" he whispers, then kisses me, open mouthed

I lift my head to the sky while yelling,

"I said yes!"

PAGE BREAK

"Everything...everything is going to be fine...everything is going to be alright" he repeats while rubbing my back.

I sit up, annoyance obviously visible in my eyes

I snap my fingers

"Don't you dare lie to me, Tobias Eaton. I saw the look on your face the other day. Tell me," I deadpan

"Tell me what's going on"

He clenches his jaw, plump bottom lip sticking out as he says,

"I've seen how this goes down. They'll raid our houses. They'll want more money, change the clocks, maybe even have a searching if it gets that bad-"

"What are you talking about" I interject

"You wanted to know the truth, didn't you?" He asks, voice low

"Yes but-"

"Well I'm giving it to you, and if you can't handle that-"

"I never said I couldn't handle it" I say, voice rising

His nostrils flare as he whispers menacingly,

"I suggest you learn to let me finish my sentences. If you do that with the soldiers, or even me when their in our company, you'll be as good as dead"

My nose twitches, a sign of frustration. I get up from the bed, my once comfortable stature completely obliterated. I point my finger at him.

"Don't you dare speak to me that way" I say, shaking my head

"Well, someone has to teach you a lesson if their going to be here" he yells, joining me on the floor.

I gasp

"Well, you thought a little differently about that 24 hours ago. What, has marriage changed your opinion about me already?"

"Don't do that," he says

"Don't change the 't make this about you." He glares, muscular arms crossed in front of him. If I wasn't so fucking mad at him, I would be incredibly turned on.

I give out a sarcastic, "HA!"

He covers my mouth with his hands

"Ssshhhhh! Don't be so loud," he whisper shouts

I bat at his hands before he finally drops them to his side

"If your so disgusted with me, then you should sleep somewhere else." I throw his pillow at him and point to the door

His chest heaves in defeat

"Fine," he says as he brushes past me

"Just don't expect me to be here in the morning"

PAGE BREAK

I cried all night. I regretted what I had said to him, but I couldn't find the courage to go downstairs and apologize for my foolishness.

He was true to his word. I couldn't find him anywhere this morning. So I decided to make myself breakfast, tears falling as I whisked the eggs and small whimpers came from my mouth as I boiled the water.

Now I sit at the kitchen table, intertwining my fingers as I continuously glance at the clock

"He's gonna come back, Beatrice" I reassure myself

"He's just gone out for groceries, don't worry."

"He'll probably just-"

"Beatrice," I hear his husky voice, and look up, eyebrows plastered to the top of my forehead.

"We've got company"

PAGE BREAK

The man taps his polished black boots on the hard wood, fiddling with the brown tinted papers he holds in his hands.

"Alright," he groans

"I apologize if this is bad timing, but every officer must ask every citizen in town a series of questions that will be held in our files. Strictly for informal purposes." He says it as if he were reading from a manual

"You," he points to me

"Sit" he gestures to the chair across from him

Tobias's eyes flick toward mine.

 _Do what he says_

"So," the man, or the "General", starts

"Have you ever housed a Jew?" He says bluntly

"...no..."

He nods

"Next question"

"Have you ever considered being part of the French resistance?"

"No"

"What is your current religion?"

I stare at him. How dare he ask such a personal question?

"I'm sorry, but I do not-"

Tobias clears his throat, eyes swiveling to mine

 _Please, Beatrice._

I sink back in my seat and mumble,

"Catholic"

"That wasn't so hard now, was it?" The General says, tilting his head

He sets both of his hands on the dining room table, tapping his fingers. I can't help but smirk. I never did wash that table. His hands are already grimy, might as well get some sex germs on there too.

"Is something funny?" He asks

"Uh...no, no of course not"

"Then why are you smiling?"

I open my mouth, but my vocal cords seem to have stopped working.

"Go ahead," he presses on

"Uh..Uh..it's just that..um"

"Use your words, woman! No man likes-"

"Thats enough" Tobias says firmly, setting his hand on the General's shoulder. He turns his head, slowly.

"I'd appreciate it if you took your grubby little hands off my new coat" he growls

Tobias sticks his hand out in front of his face

"I don't think you'd call these little" he bends his fingers, making them give out a satisfying crunch, which the General doesn't seem too happy about. He stands, collecting his papers while glaring at Tobias.

"My work here is done. You will be appointed an officer by tomorrow" He turns for the door, but Tobias holds him in place.

"An officer?" He questions

"Yes. Obviously your actions are," he glances at his hand, still on his coat

"Unpredictable. He will be here at noon, watching you every minute, every second. If I were you," he gets close to Tobias's face

"I'd watch your back"

PAGE BREAK

He holds me in his arms as I unbutton his shirt, sitting on his lap in bed.

"I'm sorry," he says

"I shouldn't have spoken that way to you."

I connect my lips with his

"No, you shouldn't have"

He looks down, ashamed

"But I shouldn't have kicked you out. I'm sorry"

I rub my hand along his shoulders as he tightens his grip on my waist.

"Well, I'm here now,"

"What do you want to do?"

I laugh while unbuttoning his pants

"I got a few ideas," I whisper in his ear

I chuck his pants across the floor and wrap my hands around his chiseled jaw as I kiss him, swiping my tongue across his bottom lip. I hadn't realized till now how much I was in need of him. In need of his touch, of his lips dancing on my bare skin, of the feeling of him inside me, thrusting and pounding. And we haven't even been apart for 24 hours.

"Tell me," he moans, tilting his head back as I rub my hands along his erect member

"Tell me what you want to do"

I run my finger nail up and down, causing a groan to come from his throat

"Sweetheart," I whisper

"Why tell when I can show"

And then it begins. A series of long moans and groans and wails and cries.

At one point he flips us over, thrusting hard against my core. I dig my fingers into the bed sheets as his lips travel lower.

I hear him whisper,

"Lets try something a little different"

His tongue swipes along the inside, and I gasp. He hoists my legs up against his shoulders. I look down to see his head bobbing up and down, and then I realize that my hips are too. Gravitating toward that delicious mouth of his over and over and over again.

"You like this?" He says, voice slightly muffled

A loud "yes!" Bursts from my mouth

"You want me to continue?"

"Dear God, yes!"

I literally shake as his tongue drives forward. I curl my legs around his arms, pushing my feets against the bed and arching my back. My hips go up as his tongue goes down. I cry out, overly satisfied with Tobias's actions.

I pant hard as he sets his chin on my lower abdomen, his face soaked with sweat. He wraps his arms around my sides and squeezes. I sigh one last time before saying,

"Well, that was new"

 **AUTHORS NOTE**

 **Hey guys! Sorry if I haven't been posting very often. I just got a new dog! It's a German shepherd. So I'm super busy with training him, but I'll really try to post faster. Please leave me a review and tell me what should be done about this so called "officer". Thanks guys, bye!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Ok your turn. Best day."

I bury my head deeper into the grass, popping another grape into my mouth.

"The day I married you"

I slap his shoulder

"No, no, come on now. You and I both know that's not true. Everyone hated us, don't you remember? Even the priest was giving us the stink eye."

"I know, but I didn't really pay attention to them."

His eyes lock with mine. A smile slowly starts to spread across my face as I wrap my leg around his waist and pull him closer to me, taking his face between my hands and kissing him linguistically.

His breath tickles my lips as he says,

"I also had that to look forward to."

A laugh bursts from my mouth

"I don't blame them, though. We practically had sex right there on the platform." I snort

"Mmmm, and I don't regret it one bit."

"Really?" I ask, biting my lip

"Not even when you decided to slip your tongue into my mouth?"

His ears ridden slightly, but then he widens his eyes and says determinedly,

"Nope. In fact, I think I might just have to do it again."

He places his hand on the small of my back, pushing me toward his chest as his lips forcefully collide with mine. I sigh when I feel his fingers starts to hike up my dress. He flips me over so my back is now pressed against the grass, and nudges my legs slightly so that he can fit between them. His hips move slowly into mine, just like our kiss. This way, I can feel every part of him as he slides deeper. He kisses my collarbone open mouthed, making my eyes roll to the back of my head.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

PAGE BREAK

My hands shake. My mind swirls and it seems as if the world will just not stop spinning. I want to scream. I want to sink into the dirt and never be found. It's not fair. What happened to the good old days when no one had to worry about life. What happened to the days when no one had to worry about bad things and bad people. When no one had to worry about being attacked in the middle of the night. When no one had to worry about being raped. I miss those days. The days of purity and innocence and vulnerability. When none of that had to be taken away. When none of that had to be crushed and spit on. I miss those days.

"Tobias," my voice comes out as a squeak in a deadly silent atmosphere.

I feel his hands meet mine.

"Sshhh, Beatrice. It's ok, your alright. Sshhh" he coo's, rubbing my hair while I sob against his chest.

I pull back, my eyes tinged with fear. Blood. Blood, everywhere. The officer lays against a tree, the thick, red liquid dripping down his forehead.

"What did you do?"

And I expect his lip to tremble. He would set his head in my lap and gasp, tears rolling down his sun burned cheeks. But he doesn't do that. His mouth forms in a hard line, his eyes harden, and his eyebrows furrow as he deadpans,

"I killed him"

 **AUTHORS** NOTE

Hey! Yes, I am picking the story back up. I'm so sorry I waited so long but something came up and I had to take care of that, but thank you for staying with me. So this is just a little glimpse of what's to come. Hope you liked it! I promise I won't wait too long to update. Please leave me a review!


	13. Chapter 13

_**SLOWLY FADING**_

 **PART 2**

 **MONOLOGUE**

 _I can't say I regret my decision. Those years with Tobias, although painful, were the best years of my life. We were in love. I have no idea why it took me so long to figure that out. I guess I was just blinded by reality. After all, we were in the middle of a bloody war. One that wouldn't end for another five years. I almost didn't make it. It was almost too much to bare. The fact that the people that I knew and loved were dead. The fact that things would never be the same. But Tobias pulled my through. He latched onto my wrists and hauled me along as I screamed and clawed. I didn't want to survive, he knew that. But no matter how frustrated I made him, he just wouldn't let me go. And all because of the promise. The promise that kept him awake at night, that left his arm just a little too tight around my waist when we stopped, that made him love me so._

 _Despite all that's happened, I have to admit I've lived a good life. Definitely not a happy one, but good. So it is time for my journey to end, and I have never been more excited. I will wait for the day to come when I will go to sleep, and never wake up. When God will lead me by the hand to my loved ones. When I will no longer need to be in this sinful world. The world where all hell broke loose. The world where blood was shed. Where innocent lives were lost. So I will say goodbye, without a crumb of despair._

 _««_

 _"Have everything?"_

 _"Yeah I think I got it all."_

 _"Alright, let's go"_

The crickets are almost enough to drown out my thoughts as we stumble across the field leading to the forest. _Almost._

"Tobias" I stop

"What is it?" He raises his eyebrows as I shake my head vigorously at him.

"We can't leave. They'll figure it out and come look for us-"

"Beatrice, we have no choice-"

"Yes, yes we do! We can make up and excuse, say he never came-"

"And then what happens?" He steps closer to me

"What happens when they find out that the officer is no where to be found, huh?"

I want to protest, I do. But I know that he's right. I look back at our house. The windows are creaked open, and I can just barely see the outline of the potted plant on the kitchen table. The kitchen table where I planned on having home cooked meals with Tobias, and maybe one day, a family. But that is no longer a possibility.

He turns me around, a pained expression on his face. He cups my cheek with his hand.

"You can stay."

My eyes widen

"You can stay here and live your life, Beatrice"

I shake my head frantically as he speaks in a hushed tone.

"I'm giving you an out" he stops my head with his hands, and looks me in the eye as he repeats it slowly

"I'm giving you an out"

I can only stare at him. An out. He'll let me stay in our house, safe and sound while he's running from the Nazis.

"No"

"Beatrice"

"No Tobias. I'm coming with you. I-I love you. Don't you understand that? Me staying behind isn't an option any more. Where you go, I go." I'm surprised by the authority in my voice, but I meant what I said. There's no going back now.

He presses his mouth against mine, taking me by surprise.

"I love you too" he mumbles as I tug on the hem of his shirt. He takes a handful of my hair and turns my head to the side, pulling my bottom lip between his teeth. And then I realize something as his warm hand meets my shivering neck. That's the first time that we've said we loved each other.

He pulls back, putting an arm around my shoulder and saying,

"Let the adventure begin"

 **AUTHORS NOTE**

 **Please leave me a review! Let me know what you think should happen on this "adventure"! Thanks guys, bye!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

 _ **Dreams**_

 _It starts with a thump. Just one. A thump that sends my fear buzzing tremendously throughout my body. I can feel it in my chest as my heart starts to increase its speed. My toes start to go numb just as my fingers curl into my palm, shrinking back. My eyes bulge out of their sockets, ready to pop. My stomach constricts and contrasts torturously, making me nauseous. My reaction to this one ongoing, darkening noise is absolutely ridiculous, since there isn't a thing that should cause my sudden discontent. There is absolutely nothing frightening about the situation that I am in, besides the fact that I am submerged in water, unable to move. An intense feeling settles at the pit of my stomach. That feeling that tells you to hide under your blanket so the monsters don't eat you. That feeling that tells you to run the hell away before your as dead as a doornail. That feeling is always right. Always. The thump sounds again, louder this time, making my body tremble. Again, a thunderous, bone chilling noise. It shakes the water as it comes closer to my fragile figure. Something tells me to stand my ground, to feel no fear. But I ignore that something, because right now I'm not worried about being brave, I'm worried about being sucked up into the giant black hole that seems to be hurtling towards me. It swallows me at once, flying me through its black passage ways encrusted with secrets. Suddenly I am no longer floating in the dark, but standing. Standing in a cramped, wooden room. The only light shining is in the center, circling a chair._

 _ **"Sit."**_ _Seethes a voice. And because of the shiver that ran down my spine as soon as I heard that voice, I sit. The circle light begins to move slowly, towards something that I hadn't noticed before. A daisy, planted delicately into the pot. It's yellow petals make me wince, for it is the only thing in the room that does not have some sort of shadow casted over it. Even the light is dim. I dip down, gently touching its soft skin, and all at once it begins to shrivel beneath my fingers. The roots turn black, the flower itself vanishing into thin air, and the light switches off. I hear the voice again, laughing maniacally into the air._

 _ **"Wrong!"**_

 _The music begins to play as the floors start to shift. The wooden boards beneath me rock back and forth, making me stumble. I walk backwards, tripping on something that no longer seems to be there. The floors tilt and I slide into another abyss._

 _ **"Help!"**_ _I hear a tiny voice sing_

 _I snap my head towards the little girl. She hold a stuffed bunny, shivering as the wind picks up. She looks so small, delicate. I want nothing more than to reach out and snuggle her, reassure her that everything will be alright. All of a sudden, two white gloved hands snatch her. I start running as soon as I hear her squeal._

 _Colors swirl wildly around me as I run through the never ending hallway. I stretch out my arm, trying but failing desperately to grab the squirming little girl in the no names arms. Suddenly, I am being pushed my some unknown force into another doorway. I look around at my surroundings. In the corner sits a toilet, to the side is an empty bath tub, and right up against the wall to my right is a sink. I'm in a bathroom? The toilet flushes, making me jump. I get up, staring into the tub, completely forgetting why I'm here in the first place. The bath tub is filled with some kind of brown liquid, disgusting to the eye. The toilet is smeared in some kind of grime. And the sink seems to be the only clean thing in here. But then I look up at the mirror. I don't see myself. I don't see blond hair, blue eyes and a narrow nose. Instead, I see red, scaly skin, slits for eyes, and hair as black as the grim reaper's cloak. I jump back, tearing through the paper thin walls and into another room._

 _The pain starts at my toes, slow yet devious. I almost don't feel it at first. Like when you have a tickle on your nose. Your not really sure until it starts to grow. And that's exactly what it did. The problem was that I couldn't scratch it off, I could only scream until my throat was raw. I arch my back as it crawls up my spine, excruciatingly steady. It explores my body, looking for anything to crush and sever. And then the music picks up again. Carnival music, just as the laughter increases. Their laughing at me, at my pain. I don't know who they are, but I want them out of my head. I curl up in a small ball, tears now falling profusely from my eyes._

 _Minutes go by, hours, days maybe, before I starts to think. This is not real, it is just a dream. In my dreams, or shall I say nightmares, they don't end until the task is completed. And then my mind drifts to the girl. That poor little girl. She's the reason I'm here. She's my ticket out. I get up, ignoring the white hot fire coursing through my veins. I pull out a gun that I didn't know I had, shooting it at the wall repeatedly. The light streams through, and I can here the girls voice again. She screams, calling for me. I kicked down the wall, and the scenery changes once more. Concrete surrounds me, conceals me. I run down the concrete hallways, my mind set on one thing._

 _"Complet the task, end the dream. Complete the task, end the dream. Save the girl. Save the girl. Save the girl. Save the girl." I chant over and over again._

 _I turn the corner, stopping in my tracks as I see her wavy blonde hair. And then I notice that she's pointing at something in front of her, her lips part and a single tear rolls down her face. Petrified is the only word that can describe her expression. Petrified. She walks backwards, bumping her shoulders into my abdomen. She turns around and locks her arms around my waist._

 _"The monsters out to get me" she squeaks. I shake my head at her. "I won't let anything hap-"_

 _What stops me is the deathly growl. I can feel my body vibrating as it steps closer. All I see is its eyes, black, filled with hunger and lust. Lust for my body between its razor sharp teeth, my blood seeping down its throat. And then I run like bloody hell. I carry the girl in my arms, trying to find something, anything that would get us away from that..that...monster. I swivel and swerve while the little girl's wails get louder. At some point I feel a sharp pain against my ankle, and I cry out just as the girl does. It scratched me. Now I'm tripping, stumbling through this maze._

 _I scream, sweat racing down my forehead, eyes as red as blood. I slam into the wall, the rock disintegrating as it comes in contact with my skin. I will save this girl. I will. I expect to keep falling. I expect to fall until we're swooped into another demonic room. But we don't. I don't. I hit something hard and give out a grunt. I set my head against the ground, feeling the girl slip out of my grasp._

 _"Mommy!" She squeals, making my eyes stifle open._

 _She skips into the embrace of her mother, giggling happily while she swings her in her arms. A smile slowly starts to spread across my face. I set my head back down onto the ground, closing my eyes as I realize something._

 _Task, completed._

 _»»_

I gasp awake, hitting my head on the wood panel above me as I sit up. Tobias fidgets beneath me while I desperately try to catch my breath.

"Are you alright?" He asks groggily, rubbing his red eyes.

"Yeah, yeah..." I swallow hard

"Just a bad dream."

I've been having a lot of those lately. I suppose it's because of the sudden change. One minute I was happily engaged, in a loving relationship with Eric, the next I'm married. Except to Tobias. It almost isn't fair. It makes my head spin to think about what has become of my life. I'm in a mess, a cold blooded, heart throbbing, eye stinging mess, and there is no way in hell I'm getting out of this one.

Things have been tough with Tobias and I. Constant fights and outbursts. What did I expect though? None of this was going to be all la di da, were running from Nazis for Christ's sake. I can't help but notice the change in Tobias. It's like he's a wire, coiled up to the point where he's about to snap any second. We walk all day until dusk, then we find a place to sleep for the night. On good night's, we find a cave or even an empty warehouse, other wise we have to sleep on the cold, damp forest grounds.

It's the way he sleeps that makes me worried. Both arms securing me tightly against his chest, his jaw clenched as dreams, eyes fluttering open every minute to check if there are any approaching bystanders. He's on the edge of sanity, the only thing keeping him from tumbling off is me. It's hard to be his barricade, though. Sometimes he makes me so aggravated, the way he can talk to me like I'm a child, like I'm just the extra weight. I know he doesn't mean it though. Usually when we have one of those fights he ends up apologizing when I'm curled up against him and the moon is the only thing that stands out amongst the black sky. It's taken me this long to realize that were made for each other, and that I could never leave him even if I tried. He's my life preserver, the rope that pulls me from the bottom of a never ending abyss, the single star in a sky full of dark. I love him, and it's when we're tangled in each other, when his hands squeeze my bare shoulders and my lips kiss vehemently at his own, that I tell him that. I whisper it in his ear while he wraps my legs around his waist. I scream it to the world as he pounds against me. There's nothing that can separate us, not even the Nazis.

He rearanges the pile of hay beneath us while I bury my face in his neck.

"Try to go to sleep,"He whispers, tucking in a stray hair behind my ears

"I'm right here."

Those were the last words I heard from him that night. Those were the last words I ever heard from his lips. When we were pulled out of that abandoned barn by soldiers in green, when we were forced to our knees as the sun just began to peek through the rolling hills, he gave me a look. A look that said it all.

 _I'm sorry_

 _Don't be afraid_

 _I won't leave you_

 _I love you_

He looked beautiful that morning, with his hair tousled and eyes shining brightly. They held something which I didn't quite understand at the time, but I would learn to appreciate completely. They held a sense of peace, calm, dignity. And I admired him greatly for that. There was a yellow glow tracing around his broad figure as they held the gun to his temple. There was something tremendously magnificent about him that I hadn't seen until then, that even the soldiers themselves had noticed. And it was when we locked eyes that I saw him for what he truly was. He was God's gift, to me. Sent down from the heavens to save me. And I couldn't have been more grateful. And as the man pushed his finger against the trigger, as the burst of the gun reverberated through the air, as my husband and savior elegantly collapsed into the grass, all that could erupt from my eerily calm figure was a single tear.

The birds paused their singing, the forest ceased its natural hum, the entire earth seemed to grow silent and still, remembering, acknowledging, _honoring_ the life of Tobias Eaton.


End file.
